Part XV
Mulder moaned. He was floating in a sea of white, the harsh glare of
lighting somewhere far above his head. It hurt his eyes, and he
tried to turn his head away from the painful brightness. But he
couldn't seem to move. It was as if his body was frozen in ice,
though a fuzziness in his mind prevented him from caring too much
about it. Indistinctly a figure moved on the edge of his field of
vision, a dark looming presence that sent a twinge of unease through
him. He distantly felt something cool and metallic against his
forehead. There was a stinging sensation, then he remembered
nothing at all for a long time
Kulain was incandescent with rage. That was the only word Alex could
think of to describe the mood he saw in his lover. Of course the
first thing the two of them had done once they had recovered from
the news of Mulder's death was to rush to the scene to see for
themselves. Skinner had been there, personally overseeing the
recovery operations. The AD's face had been bleak, as if he had
already decided that the search was hopeless. And little wonder.
Where the warehouse had stood, there was a gaping crater a hundred
feet across. If Mulder had been in that.......
But he had! Alex knew it. That moment of mental agony that he and
Kulain had felt..... Then that terrible absence which was so much
worse....
Fox, oh Fox.....
How is it you didn't know how much you'd loved someone until it was
too late? Alex felt a small twinge of guilt too, for Ricky. His
beautiful slut. So willing to give him what he needed. So keen to
please that it was obvious that he was in love.
Both of them gone......!
He felt something twist in his gut like a knife thrust into him. An
almost physical pain. A loss so terrible that he couldn't comprehend
it. He folded his arms across the middle of his body and hugged
himself pathetically, trying to ignore the madness that threatened
to break free inside his mind. In the end, it was the growing sound
of commotion somewhere nearby that broke into his self pity.
Kulain was advancing on AD Skinner with a murderous look in his
green eyes. Long talons were extended towards the AD, and Skinner
for once had lost his normally cool self assurance and was cowering
away from Kulain's fury. Something in Kulain seemed to shift, as
the facade of humanity he normally wore seemed to evaporate. The
sight of the raging demon was enough to terrify the bravest of
humans.
Alex knew Kulain well enough to understand the grief that must be
driving him, but Skinner wasn't to blame. With a yell, Alex lunged
forward and grabbed at Kulain's arm, moving to block the strike that
was intended to cut Skinner down.
He felt the incredible strength poised in the demon's arm, and saw
an echo of his own madness in the green eyes.
For a moment, it seemed as though Kulain was going to shake him off
and continue his attack. Then the arm dropped, and Alex sighed in
relief as the strike was aborted.
"Let go, Alex!" The words were spoken cautiously, as if Kulain was
desperately trying to be gentle with him.
"Don't do this!" Alex pleaded. "It was an accident. Skinner wouldn't
hurt Fox..... And you know it."
With a snarl, Kulain wrenched his arm free. Then he spun round to
face the crater where the warehouse had been and a searing bolt of
flame exploded from his fingers. The earth itself began to melt and
flow where the flame touched it, and within moments, the crater was
filled with a glowing pool of magma, forever sealing its gaping
void.
.Many of the emergency workers and FBI forensic personnel shrank
away from Kulain in terror. Even Skinner backed away cautiously.
Only Alex heard his last whisper
"Goodbye Fox......."
Then in a burst of light, he was gone.
As he stared into the glowing pool of melted rock, Alex felt the
full weight of his loss bearing down on him. More than anything else
in the world, he ached to hold Fox in his arms one last time..... To
say goodbye......
Never again!
As if in echo of his mood, the heavens opened and cold rain began to
fall. Alex turned away from the site of his lover's grave and began
to walk back towards the Tower. Alone. Skinner tried to stop him,
whether to thank him, or try to help him, Alex didn't really care.
He didn't realise how terrible his face looked. He ignored Skinner
and continued to walk away. And the cold rain hid the tears that
were trailing down his face.
Ricky came slowly back to consciousness, his head throbbing. There
was a metallic taste at the back of his throat that was so vile it
made him want to spill his guts. There was a warm something under
him that felt alive, something bewilderingly shaped under his
fumbling fingers. He cautiously cracked open one eye and winced at
the effect even this dim light had on his head. He appeared to be
underground somewhere, and the warmth resolved itself into the
shapely length of Fox Mulder's leg. Ricky realised that he appeared
to be using one of Mulder's thighs as a pillow.
Unsteadily Ricky sat up. Mulder seemed to be deeply unconscious, the
soft rise and fall of his chest the only sign that he was still
alive. But Ricky had other, more pressing concerns. Raising his head
to a vertical position made a wave of nausea roll through him and he
had to press his forehead against the coolness of the rock floor
before relief came.
Mulder moaned softly and opened his eyes. His gaze was unfocussed
and he mumbled something incoherently before rolling onto his side
and dramatically losing the contents of his stomach. Ricky crawled
unsteadily towards him and saw recognition in the hazel eyes as he
helped the older man into a sitting position. Both of them seemed to
have the same problem. Their balance centres seemed to affected by
something that had happened while they were unconscious.
Mulder tried to stop the dizziness in his head. The whole world
seemed to be whirling round him, and Ricky wasn't helping, clinging
to him like that. They seemed to be locked in a rocky cave with no
apparent exit. Both of them wore some kind of thin, grey clothing
that resembled surgical scrubs. The effort of looking around made
his head spin again so he sought relief by leaning up against the
wall. What the hell was the matter with his head?
His hand reached up tentatively to explore his head, and after only
a few moments, he found an area of newly healed too-smooth skin at
the back of his neck. He checked Ricky, and found a similar new scar
there. The younger man stared at him with a desperate kind of hope,
as if Mulder could find a way out of this mess.
But Fox Mulder was just as scared, though he hid it better. He
guessed that several days must have passed since they came here. The
fact was they had been captured and taken to an unknown location by
some hostile party, and they were already the subjects of
experimentation. And Kulain had not found them immediately....
The implications of that alone were disturbing.
For now, helpless, they could only wait to see what their captors
had in store for them.
Sean had been out of Washington for a while, and as he drove back to
his adopted city, he was surprised at the apprehension he began to
feel. It was as though a pall of darkness was hanging over the city,
a leaden, depressing feeling that got worse the nearer he got to his
goal. It felt as though a storm was about to break, and he could
almost feel the prickle of static electricity against the back of
his neck.
The first fat raindrops began to fall as he reached the city and
drove towards the tower. Lightning flickered in the distance, over
towards the Northwest. Sean shivered. If anything, the feeling of
wrongness had intensified with the breaking of the storm over his
head, and he just wanted to get back to the warmth of civilisation
as quickly as possible. Maybe it was because he had been away for a
while, making sure the zombie menace was taken care of, but
Washington felt darker and more dangerous than before. Kulain had
always kept order simply by his threatening presence, but now.....
He flashed his pass to the cop on duty outside the Tower zone and
drove towards its brooding green presence. All was in darkness ahead
of him and he frowned again. Where were the signs of life? He
shrugged eventually. Maybe the others had been called out on a
case...?
He parked up his car close to the base of the tower and pulled his
coat around him as he prepared to make the dash through the lashing
rain towards the entrance. Demon building design made no provision
for things like garages.
The rain was just as cold and unpleasant as it looked. He ran
towards the door. And skidded to a halt on the green marble of the
entranceway. There was a huddled shape lying across the entrance, At
first, he thought it was a piece of garbage, then he realised the
incongruity of that idea. And then it moved slightly. But no
homeless person could possibly get through the police cordon, though
there were plenty in Washington.
"Who are you.....?" he asked softly.
There was no response at first, then there came a low, hoarse
sob......
Sean slowly came closer, and in the dim light radiated by the green
substance of the demon tower, he saw Alex. The older man was huddled
in the doorway, shivering, his face streaked with tears.
"Alex!" Sean said, bewildered.
"Fox....... He's dead!" Alex whispered. Then he was clinging to Sean
as his grief came flooding out.
It was difficult in this dimly lit prison to tell how much time had
passed. Several periods of sleep, surely. It had taken all of that
time for his head to stop its abominable pounding and Fox Mulder was
only now able to stand, to walk, without discomfort. He had examined
the room they found themselves in, but there was no apparent exit.
Just sanitary arrangements in one corner, and a soft pad on the
floor that was apparently intended for sleeping. One wall though
seemed too smooth to be natural rock, and the glint of something
high up near the roof had suggested that they were being kept under
surveillance by their unknown captor. Food and water had appeared
mysteriously while they slept, and Mulder's frustration was growing.
Ricky just sat and watched him as he began to pace round the small
room, trying to work off some of the nervous energy that captivity
brought. There was nothing to fight. No enemy to turn fists towards.
To maybe even show Ricky what being in Kulain's possession really
meant, by calling on that deadly range of skills he had developed.
Ricky stayed huddled in one corner, eyes downcast, as he tried to
control his fear. The younger man had been silent and subdued for
some time. But Mulder had seen the brief flash of green eyes turned
towards him from time to time, and knew he was being watched
closely.
Mulder growled in frustration. He knew that his captors were
deliberately leaving them isolated to gain a psychological advantage
over them. But knowing what the enemy intended and defeating their
plans were two separate issues. By Mulder's reckoning, they had been
left in this hole for almost four days already, not counting the
unknown time that they had both been unconscious. Alex must be
frantic with worry for him.
Finally, he sank down on his haunches, leaning back against the
wall, staring moodily at Ricky.
"Not a great conversationalist, are you?" He snapped at the hapless
younger man. Ricky pretended to ignore him, and suddenly seemed to
find something fascinating to study in the polished smoothness of
the floor. It wasn't as though they had a lot in common. Except
Alex. Since those first few hours when they had huddled close to
each other in mutual comfort, they had found it easier to avoid each
other. Besides, the sense of contact Mulder felt through the thin
fabric of the clothing both wore was far too distracting. Mulder
really didn't want to feel Ricky's hot body so close to him.
"This is a nightmare! If I go to sleep maybe you'll disappear!"
Mulder snapped. Ricky jerked his head up, and for the first time
glared back at him, his patience exhausted.
"At least I'd have some peace, away from you!" he retorted.
The silence after that was charged with hostility.
Mulder frowned suddenly. It was as if something had changed in their
environment. His senses prickled. He sat up as he realised what he
was sensing, startling Ricky. A low vibration in the wall behind
him.......
There was a low rumble, and the smooth extent of wall behind him
slid upwards, as well oiled machinery came into play. Instinctively,
Mulder stepped backwards, away from the unknown. He heard Ricky move
closer, and found that he didn't mind the other man's presence at
his shoulder at all. Not with the huge presence of the alien bounty
hunter and several of his smaller grey allies watching his every
move. The greys held deadly looking weapons levelled against them
The bounty hunter smiled, careful not to step into the Greys' line
of fire.
"Welcome to your new life. We thought it was time to give you an
introduction to the rules of this place."
Mulder shook his head.
"Like hell! We're not going to play your games!" Somehow, he had
included Ricky in that statement of fact, without knowing why.
The bounty hunter smiled coldly, yet there was a suggestion of
something avaricious and hungry there too.
"The first lesson begins then," he said. He lifted his hand, and
Mulder caught a glimpse of a small, black control device of some
sort as it was pointed at him. The bounty hunter depressed a button
on its surface.
Mulder felt nothing much at first. Perhaps a slight buzzing in his
ears, a suggestion of dizziness. Then the feeling broke over him in
a wave. Heat. A wild, tormenting rush of chemicals through his body.
It drove him to his knees with a gasp of shock. The bounty hunter
chuckled again.
"You wouldn't believe how long it took us to unravel the mysteries
of demon biochemistry, Mulder. We've been trying to unlock the
secrets of your kind's pheromones for almost two years!"
Mulder knew, in that moment, what was happening to him. He shook his
head in disbelief, and started to back away..... He knew that
particular heat so well. The waves of arousal that began to surge
through him, Only Kulain could do that to him! Kulain and sometimes
Alex....
He didn't want this. He fought against it as hard as he could. But
slowly and inexorably, he could feel it intensifying inside him. He
wanted..... No.... He needed to drop to his knees and ........
"NO!"
With a desperate wail, he tried to back away further. But his body
was intent on something entirely different. Something that was born
of instinct and totally out of his control. He was vaguely aware of
Ricky staring, mouth open at Mulder's bizarre behaviour, as his
knees folded beneath him and his hands scrabbled ineffectively
against the floor. He couldn't stop himself, no matter how hard he
tried. He was assuming the position that Kulain loved so much. Head
and shoulders lowered to the floor, and ass in the air, grovelling.
Begging for it with every fibre of his being. Writhing as the need
for sex began to subsume everything else. He wanted it so badly it
hurt.
The bounty hunter made a small, satisfied noise and paused to enjoy
the sight of the beautiful man grovelling delightfully at his feet.
The device they had implanted in his brain was exceedingly
effective. It stimulated the brain to release certain natural
chemicals into the subject's system with fascinating results!
The other man was watching in terror, his pretty eyes wide.
Apparently, according to their spies, he was Kulain's latest
conquest and was thus less useful as an experimental subject. Still,
observing his interaction with Mulder had been interesting. Mulder
quite clearly regarded the younger man as a subordinate and didn't
seem to like him much.
"Interesting what a little technical know-how can do, isn't it!" the
alien taunted the squirming Mulder. You're going to be in a lot of
pain soon, unless your needs are taken care of.... You need a good
fuck, Mulder!"
Mulder whimpered. He knew it was true. It was all he could do to
hold onto the last shreds of his dignity under the chemical assault
of his own body. He heard the bounty hunter's voice as if from a
great distance.
"I can make the pain go away Mulder. In fact, I can do a lot for
you. Before long, my colleagues plan to make you fight for your life
in a series of tests. But if you agree to serve me, then your life
can be very much more comfortable!" He reached out a hand and
touched Mulder's shoulder gently. "Let me help you......"
Mulder wanted to yield. The betraying, hateful part of him began to
react to the bounty hunter's touch. To grovel lower and spread his
legs further..... To tug at the thin fabric of the clothes he wore
until he had somehow managed to bare the skin of his upper body. He
began to claw at the rest of his garments, trying to free himself
completely of the encumbrance of clothing. His skin felt as if it
was scorching.......
The bounty hunter leaned forward slightly in anticipation. Things
were going so much better than he had anticipated....... Mulder was
so very responsive. The implant was functioning perfectly. Mulder
wanted a man... Any man..... to satisfy him. The bounty hunter felt
a twinge of envy for Kulain and his kind. Mulder was so very
desirable.....
Oddly enough, it was Ricky who broke the bounty hunter's spell.
Ricky had been frozen in shock and fear since he had first seen the
aliens. He had never seen anything like them. The fact that there
were beings like this in the universe and he had been unaware of
their existence... Then one of them, tall, fierce looking and almost
human, did something to Mulder. One moment, Mulder was standing next
to him, the next, he was sprawled on his hands and knees, giving the
sort of display that Ricky had barely dare think of in his most wild
and secret fantasies.
Ricky watched in astonishment as Mulder grovelled and writhed and
pushed his ass into the air, making small, needy growls and
whimpers, then tore at his clothes. With stunned recognition, he
realised that Mulder was acting precisely like Ricky had, when he
was with Alex. But for an alien...... The tall alien reached out to
stroke Mulder, and Ricky shivered as he realised what they were
going to do together......
Then he caught a glimpse of Mulder's eyes, seeing there a mixture of
helpless lust and horror.
"No! Leave him alone!" Ricky yelled.
His shout seemed to penetrate the fog of desire that Mulder was
caught up in. With a desperate sob, he tried to escape from the
bounty hunter, pulling back, scrabbling away on hands and knees. And
suddenly Ricky found Mulder clinging to him, sobbing helplessly,
arms wrapped around the younger man's knees.
"Need...! Need....!" He pleaded incoherently, then began to cry
softly in despair, burying his face against Ricky's legs. The bounty
hunter glared at the two men in rage as his desire was thwarted.
"You'll come grovelling to me soon enough! Let's see how long it
takes you to come to your senses!" Then he grinned unpleasantly.
"Your little friend is going to have to take care of you from now
on, Fox Mulder. "I hope you like each other.....!" He made a
dismissive gesture towards the other aliens, and as he moved away,
the wall slid downwards to seal them into their prison once again.
Mulder too, slid downwards onto the floor and lay sobbing, his body
still shaken by occasional tremors.
Mulder hurt. No matter how hard he tried to fight against it, he
couldn't stop the fire from burning through him, demanding he answer
it. But there was only Ricky, who was watching him in concern.
"Mulder....?" the younger man said softly. The sound of Ricky's
voice was enough by itself to send a shiver of anticipation through
him. He moaned. He knew this was wrong, though it wasn't that vile
yet delicious pleasure that the bounty hunter's touch had brought.
The need hadn't faded in the few minutes since the bounty hunter's
departure. It had gotten worse. He felt as though he had a fever for
which there was only one cure. The pretty Ricky came closer, his
mouth moving as he made some sort of concerned enquiry, his hand
reaching out as if to touch Mulder.
Yes... That was good...... That was what he wanted......
With the strength and speed of a maddened animal, he lunged upwards,
colliding with Ricky and bearing down on him so that he ended up
sprawled on top of the younger man. Ricky's body was so deliciously
warm beneath his. He knew what he wanted, and ignored the other's
hands trying to push him away as he clawed at thin, grey clothing.
"Now wait a minute....." Ricky yelped. But Mulder could no longer
make sense of the words. He bared the smooth flesh of Ricky's chest
with its fine scatter of hair, and dipped his head to taste the fine
sheen of perspiration on the younger man's flesh.
The scent of fear and other, less identifiable emotions. That would
soon change. Mulder needed something more substantial to quench the
need he felt.
When Mulder started licking him, Ricky found that quite suddenly, he
didn't really want to push Mulder away. And the sight of Mulder's
large erection, its head glistening with fluid..... God, he was such
a slut where men were concerned.....!
Then Fox Mulder had hold of his waistband, and was tugging his pants
down....... With a philosophical sigh, he raised his hips as best he
could so that Mulder could strip him bare. There was nothing sane in
Mulder's eyes now, just an insane determination to fulfil his needs.
Ricky felt he was in the grip of forces he couldn't control, and
began to spread his legs so that Mulder could take him. By now,
Mulder's somewhat aggressive seduction techniques were having an
effect. His own cock was rising to the occasion, and he heard Mulder
give a throaty growl of satisfaction. Then, to Ricky's astonishment,
his erection was engulfed by Mulder's warm and remarkably talented
mouth.
Oh yeah.....! That definitely added interest to the proceedings!
What happened next stunned him. Instead of Mulder entering him, the
older man raised himself over Ricky and impaled himself with a
groan, on Ricky's hard cock. Ricky cried out, as an incredible,
velvet heat engulfed him. He had never done it this way before, and
it was an awesome experience. Mulder was totally in control, riding
him expertly, his face bliss filled as he answered the call of his
own body. Ricky could only lie back and let himself be used. His
ignorance of what would satisfy Mulder was lamentable. Fortunately,
his erection seemed to be all that Mulder required. He was
transfixed by he sight of Mulder's own large erection bobbing as he
moved, and grasped it firmly with both hands, making Mulder give a
cry of pleasure
How the hell did he get so lucky?
Mulder was moving with increasing urgency, very vocally signalling
his approval when he pushed downwards and brought Ricky close to
heaven. Mulder was so aroused that he could not hold off for much
longer. Then the moment came. With a howl, Mulder shudderingly
contracted around him, his cock jerking as he spurted jets of creamy
whiteness into Ricky's hands.
The younger man yelled as he was sent over the edge by Mulder's
orgasm. His own seed was released into Mulder's hot depths. Mulder
sagged forward, breathing hard, as his body chemistry slowly
readjusted itself to normal levels.
"Wow! That was incredible!" Ricky grinned, He reached out to stroke
Mulder's hair gently. Mulder lifted hazel eyes to stare at Ricky.
"Don't touch me!" he hissed. He unsteadily climbed off Ricky's body,
flinching perceptibly as Ricky's softening cock slipped out of him.
He moved slowly towards the sleeping mat and turned his back on
Ricky as he hugged himself in a vain attempt at reassurance. Moments
later, a shellshocked Ricky heard the quiet but unmistakable sound
of Mulder crying.
It had been two weeks!
Fourteen days of hell. Sean rubbed his eyes tiredly and gazed over
at his bed, where Alex had been sleeping for the moment. Not for sex
though. Alex had been celibate since his loss. There hadn't been a
flicker of desire in his green eyes as he curled up next to Sean
every night, needing the comfort of the younger man's presence, but
unwilling to seek any greater intimacy. Sean understood, though he
had his own needs. Sean sought satisfaction by other, more solitary
means.
Alex had vented his grief for days after the disaster, clinging to
Sean and burying his face against the other's shoulder. But the
frequency of his outbursts had gradually diminished, and now there
was barely a flicker of emotion when he was reminded of his loss.
Alex had become a cold, distant shadow of his former self. Like a
robot in fact. As if he was determined not to show his pain.
Except in his uneasy, restless dreams. Often he would reach out for
Mulder in his sleep, then when he sensed he was alone, he would curl
up protectively and moan softly. It was a lost, desolate sound.
"Kulain, where are you?" Sean whispered. "Help us, please....."
For since Mulder's death, their demon lover had absented himself
from their sides, and had disappeared. At first, Sean had hoped that
he would come back soon. How could he have left Alex like that? It
seemed heartless, but then, Kulain wasn't human. Did he really
understand what human grief was?
But more than that, with Kulain absent, he had been forced to lie
several times to the government officials who had sought advice from
the demonlord on matters of state.
"We have to find Kulain!" Sean told Alex. There was little response
from the green-eyed man. "Listen to me, Alex. If we don't, then
we're going to be in a heap of trouble....!"
"You think I give a damn!" Alex voice was roughened from crying, and
there was a flash of anger, or maybe madness in the green eyes.
"The people in the city need Kulain for protection. So do we......."
"Fuck the both of you!" Alex snarled. "I don't need you telling me
what to do, and I don't need that son of a bitch! He left me when I
needed him most!"
There was a frosty silence as Sean fought the impulse to give an
acid reply. He knew Alex was bitter and hurting at the moment.
"Just go! Leave me alone!" Alex snapped. Sean decided that perhaps
discretion would be appropriate, and he headed out of the door. Some
time on his own would probably help Alex. He didn't see the flash of
demonic madness in the other man's eyes, or hear Alex murmur to
himself.......
"Someone is going to die tonight......!"
"Without love, there would be a permanent and shifting cast of
sexual partners, none of whom could ever elicit commitment to the
pair bond"
Matt Ridley—The origins of Virtue
But whichever way they had sex, it was better than the alternative.
The alien. Mulder knew how close he had come to surrendering
everything, when those big hands had started to stroke across his
skin...... He shivered instinctively. He still didn't know why the
alien hadn't taken what he wanted.
Ricky was watching him silently, green eyes wide. The younger man
had hardly dared breathe, let alone speak to Mulder, since their
encounter. Plainly, he expected Mulder to explode with rage and beat
him up, or take his revenge in some way. Maybe if he had been Alex,
he would have done. But what was the point. It wasn't Ricky's fault.
The aliens were to blame for this mess.
He just didn't know what to say to Ricky.
The enforced silence plainly disturbed the younger man. Hesitantly,
he rose to his feet and approached Mulder. A hand reached out to
touch Mulder's shoulder.
Mulder flinched slightly, before he could stop himself.
"I.... I'm sorry." The younger man offered.
"It's all right." Mulder said finally. "Better you than them! Just
don't come near me again.... Don't touch me......"
"I didn't mean to have..... That is...... er..... I've never done it
that way before. It wasn't what Alex wanted and......"
Oh great. The last thing Mulder wanted to hear was an account of
exactly what Ricky and Alex did in bed. Somehow that thought brought
annoyance in its wake.
"I hate you!" Mulder snapped
It was evidently the wrong thing to say. Green eyes blazed in sudden
fury. Not as timid as he sometimes seemed. Mulder found himself
belatedly remembering what Kulain had once called Ricky. Feisty.
Damn him to hell.
"Fuck you!" Ricky snapped. "Oh, sorry! Done that already"
With a snarl of rage, Mulder flung himself at Ricky, Ricky's taunt
was the last straw. After everything else that had happened, the
stresses of their imprisonment and of the alien experiments, his
temper finally boiled over. He saw only Ricky's infuriating, double
damned face seeming to smirk at him and his control snapped. He hit
with his shoulder, crashing into Ricky and knocking him down. Then
atop the younger man, he hammered his fists into the other man's
stomach repeatedly. Ricky yelled in shock and pain, then heaved
desperately, trying to dislodge his attacker, struggling to hold him
at bay. He finally gave a particularly strong push, and Mulder was
knocked aside. Ricky scrambled to his feet, and backed away,
clutching at his stomach.
"Stop it!" Ricky screamed. But Mulder was beyond listening and
lowered his head to charge at Ricky. Ricky was younger though, and
faster. He dodged away, and Mulder was carried by his own momentum
into the wall beyond. The force of his own impact stunned him, and
he swayed unsteadily, shaking his head to try and clear it.
"Truce! I'm sorry....!" Ricky shouted. He kept well out of reach as
Mulder swung at him again ineffectually. It was obvious that
Mulder's co-ordination was gone.
Dizzily Mulder tried to focus on his irritating companion. Then he
growled in frustration and made a dismissive gesture.
"Just shut up and keep out of my way!" he hissed venomously.
Things were definitely not going well.
When had it started? Alex wasn't sure. The pain of loss was still a
raw agony inside him, that had threatened for a while to send him
mad with grief. He had clung to sanity, just barely, with the help
of Sean. He knew he would never heal from this pain. But over the
past few day, something else had stirred within him, and once he had
recognised it, he had welcomed it into his mind as a way of avoiding
his terrible grief. Cold, icy rage, born of his despair, and loss,
it came from depths inside of him that he had no desire to plunge
into. A need to strike out in blame at the world. At least while
this need possessed him, he could escape from his pain for a while.
And there was some part of him that welcomed the desire to rend and
kill.
He had driven Sean away deliberately, lest his friend try to stop
him. At least when the darkness reigned inside him, the horror of
losing his lovers was numbed. And if it took blood to ease his pain,
then so be it. Did it really matter what happened to him any more?
He found his leather jacket, and headed out into the city. He knew
of a little bar in downtown Washington that would suit his mood
exactly. Lots of dark corners, a low life clientele and the sort of
place where the unwary were just as likely to get a broken bottle in
the face as a beer.
Sean, too headed towards the nearest bar. As it happens, the place
he chose was a small and intimate little bar, much frequented by the
more wealthy Washington residents. It was the sort of place men took
their mistresses for a quiet drink.
Sean sat next to the bar and ordered a large bourbon. He stared at
it, at the small dewdrops of moisture forming on the side of the ice
cold glass. He traced a line down the side with one finger. He
wanted to drink it down so badly. It was so tempting. And the of
course, there would be another, and another.....
Didn't Alex realise that Sean was hurting too?
But Alex seemed to be lost in his own little world of misery. He was
becoming more distant every day, and more unreachable. That's why
Sean found himself sitting in front of his old friend, bourbon
again. Once upon a time, they had been very fond of each other.
Maybe it was time to renew the acquaintance.....
"You look as though you need that!" The voice cut through his
brooding thoughts. Sean turned, and found himself face to face with
Mulder's former boss, AD Skinner. The big man smiled slightly. "How
are you Sean?" He actually sounded as if he cared!
Sean had been about to mutter something neutral in response, but the
older man's evident concern made him hesitate. Finally he sighed.
"It's tough," he admitted. "Mulder was so much a part of my
life...... I miss him...."
"And Alex?" Skinner asked gently.
"He's taken it hard!" Sean said. "I'm worried about him......"
Skinner seemed to stare into the distance for a moment.
"I've known Alex Krycek for a long time. He's a survivor. If anyone
can get through this, he can. But call me if you need my help with
anything. Or if things get too bad and you need a place to escape
to." Was Sean imagining it, or had Skinner just hit on him.....?
"I'd be more worried about your lord and master, if I were you!"
Skinner said. "Kulain hasn't been seen around the city since......
the accident.... We know he's disappeared. Certain high up members
of the government are getting nervous. They rely on Kulain providing
a certain amount of stability in Washington. If he doesn't make his
presence felt soon, they'll assume he's given up on them, and
they'll look around for another demon who'll make them an
offer....." Sean found that his drink had suddenly lost its appeal.
"Just watch your back, Sean." Skinner's smile deepened. "I'd hate to
see you in trouble."
Definitely a hint of an invitation there. Sean felt his face color
slightly. He decided to quit the bar, before he found himself
falling into that trouble Skinner had mentioned. He had been
fighting his sexual impulses towards Alex for weeks, since it was
obvious that Alex wasn't in the mood for sex. A few lonely fumblings
had barely weakened his need. And there was a persistent dream too,
about kneeling before Kulain and offering himself..... Oh god, how
he missed the sex..... He wasn't made for abstinence, and Skinner
had hinted that he would be open to negotiation.....
Dangerous thoughts.......
Oh god, now he had started thinking about sex, how much he wanted
it.....
It hadn't taken long. Within a few minutes of entering Ruby's Bar,
Alex knew he was being watched. He could sense it, with a predator's
own instincts for its rivals. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck
were standing up straight. He had taken a stool at the bar and
ordered a Jack Daniels, and had known immediately that the locals
were sizing him up.
He had deliberately dressed like a rich city boy who was slumming
it. Leather jacket that cost several hundred dollars, and designer
jeans that Mulder had once told him accentuated the shape of his ass
deliciously. Alex deliberately averted his mind from that thought.
He looked good in his reflection in the glass behind the bar, though
far paler than normal. Two weeks of grief had made his eyes seem
shadowed and mysterious.
He could hear muttering from a dark corner where some young men were
grouped. It was obvious that he was not welcome. He repressed a grim
smile, the first he had given for what seemed like millennia. Time
to bait the trap.
He paid for his drink from a big roll of fifty dollar bills, and
sensed the already charged atmosphere turn electric. He definitely
had their attention. Alex swigged back the shot and rose to his feet
in a lithe movement. Then he headed to the door, sensing motion
behind him. He could feel the eager anticipation of the hunt. Now he
would get to sink his claws into someone who deserved it, and maybe
the fierce excitement of the kill would ease his torment a little.
He headed down the street, deliberately heading for the darkest
part, where two street lights were out. He added a trace of a
drunken weave to his walk. He risked a quick glance backwards, when
he knew the dim lighting wouldn't highlight the pale expanse of his
face. Two of them followed him, and he caught the faint glint of a
knife in one fist.
He paused, leaning forward as if vomiting from the effects of too
much alcohol. The two attackers headed straight towards him, intent
on their own acts of violence. Alex pretended to notice them for the
first time, and dodged into the nearest alleyway. They followed.
The two punks weren't prepared for the raging monster that met them
in the midnight darkness of the alleyway. A clawing, snarling fiend
who took out the first man even as he entered the darkest shadows,
with an upwards directed disembowelling stroke. Then as the second
mugger paused, unable to take in the reality of what he saw, Alex,
demon blood burning in him, ripped out his throat. Then he was over
the body, tearing at it, screaming as all the emotion of the past
weeks spilled out. Maybe a minute later he came back to sanity, or
something that vaguely resembled it.
Alex was barely aware of what he was doing any more. He stood above
the two bodies, the battle heat making his blood sing. The scent of
blood brought with it an instinctive reaction that drove away all
the pain. A rush of adrenaline and a pleasurable heat almost as good
as sex. A part of his demon tainted self that for once he welcomed.
His control wavered, and he clung to the last shreds of his humanity
as he realised that his hands were blood soaked. For a brief
instant, he wanted to fall to his knees and rend and tear again at
these diseased remnants of humanity. He hated all of these scum
because they were alive and Fox wasn't.......
Something moved nearby in the darkness. There was barely a sound,
but he knew with more than human awareness, that something was
there......
He fled, leaving behind the scene of his kill, guilt and fear of
discovery warring in his mind as he ran. He had deliberately
committed murder. Perhaps they had deserved it. Then again, who was
he to judge?
Just for a while though, he had felt so much better.......
Green eyes watched Alex run from the scene of his crime. The watcher
gave a faint, half amused smile at the foolishness of youth. Alex
had been more careless than he realised, for a third mugger had
followed the other two, armed with a handgun. Alex had become so
involved in his kill that he hadn't spotted the wide eyed human male
watching him from across the street, or the way the human had raised
his gun to shoot Alex.
Silently, Kulain had dropped down behind the gunman, and had severed
his head from his body in a swipe of his claws powerful enough to
cut through nerve, tendon and sinew, disarticulating bone. The noise
that had startled Alex had been the soft thud of the body hitting
the ground.
Kulain hefted the head in one hand. As if he would leave the streets
of his city unpatrolled and open to other hunters! No demon kin
walked in this city without his permission. Only Sean and Alex had
that, and Sean was too ethical, even as Mulder had been.
Kulain moaned softly at the thought of his Fox. Lost in his grief,
he had fled for a while, to vent his pain in secret. If he ever
showed a sign of weakness, other demons would instantly challenge
him. So much pain, even now. He forced himself under control. He
could do that now. But when he had first known about Fox...... The
urge to destroy had sent him fleeing away from Alex lest he hurt his
lover, and obliterate the city he governed. Kulain had sought a
place where he could safely lose control of the immense power he
held, and howl his anguish to the stars.
But it shamed him that he had left Alex.
In some ways, now, it was easier to hide from reality. To try and
forget about the way he had betrayed the younger man. But the sight
of Alex vainly trying to cope with his own despair made Kulain long
to reach out to him. But he still didn't trust himself to maintain
control.......
Perhaps Alex's way had its merits. The instinct to shed blood was
strong among demon kind, and was only suppressed by having frequent,
vigorous sex. Not an option he was able to indulge in at the moment.
Sean and Alex would be angry at him, and his other option.......
Taking a new human lover......... It would sicken him to replace Fox
with some inferior substitute.
Thoughtfully he studied the severed head he still held.
He did feel a little better after a killing!
He could understand Alex's brush with madness. But that very
insanity was half of the problem. Alex was careless, as if he didn't
really care whether he was caught.
Kulain stooped to pick up his victim's body and carried it over to
the others. Perhaps a subtle message to Alex? He glanced at the
nearby fire escape. A powerful tug wrenched off a six foot length of
the metal rail, and Kulain straightened it carefully. Then he drove
the spike at its end through the pile of bodies and deep into the
concrete beneath. No human would have had the strength to do that.
And he fastened the severed head on the other end of the pole.
Hopefully, it would teach Alex to be more careful in his hunting.
Though the younger man had possessed an animal grace in his
movements that woke desires within him that were hard to suppress.
Alex would return to him eventually. Though how sane he would be was
a disturbing thought...... Their lives were such a mess.
Alex had been silent and brooding all morning. When Sean had got
back some time after midnight, he had apparently been shut in his
room and wouldn't answer Sean's concerned enquiries. Perhaps he was
angry at Sean for staying out for so long, but the younger man had
needed a break from the constant, wearing grief Alex was projecting.
Somehow, being with Skinner had helped him. A sympathetic ear and
the hint of a tantalising offer. Sean had felt his troubles
disappear, just for a little while, and he sensed that the big AD
had enjoyed their time together just as much. He seemed quite as
lonely as Sean........ A new face had wandered into Sean's dreams
last night. Quite erotic dreams, as it happened.
Alex seemed odd. Almost secretive. Sean wondered briefly if Alex had
heard him as he worked off his frustrations, jerking off in the
darkness of the night. Maybe he should try harder to get Alex
involved. The other man was probably as frustrated as Sean. Though
he had never once indulged himself sexually, since Mulder's death.
Sean wondered where all of that energy was being directed. Alex was
one of the most energetic lovers he had ever met, and to completely
abstain from sex was abnormal.......
Damn. He really must try to get his mind off sex! It was affecting
everything he thought about..... His thoughts were interrupted by
the sound of the phone Grabbing at it he was astonished to hear the
sound of Skinner's voice. The AD sounded worried.
"Sean, I need your help. Alex's too, if you can get him to agree.
Turn on the local news on your tv....."
Sean did as he was asked. He saw Alex lift his head in mild
curiosity, The news anchorman came on screen, apparently talking
about a crime in the city last night.
".......... reported a multiple murder in downtown Washington last
night. When police got to the scene, they found that the bodies had
been mutilated as if by a wild animal! There has been speculation
that the killer was not human. It is difficult to imagine who else
could kill three men like this, but the authorities are refusing to
comment....."
Alex gasped in shock. Sean guessed that he was reacting to the
non-human reference. He too shivered. It fell to them to solve this
killing since Kulain had disappeared. It was as if Skinner's warning
about rival demons was coming true.
"Sean, maybe you and Alex could come to the scene of the crime? At
least it'll look as though Kulain has ordered you to investigate....
And you may be able to give us some clues about the type of killer
we should look for."
"We'll be there!" Sean assured him.
Mulder and Ricky sat in opposite corners of the small chamber,
pretending to ignore each other. It had been like that for the past
two days. Though a day was measured in their prison by the
appearance of food, which was followed rapidly by the dimming of
the lights so they could sleep comfortably. In fact, the artificial
dusk was due soon.
Mulder was beginning to feel frustrated at their enforced captivity.
The silence too, was unnerving. At least when he had talked to
Ricky, it had made him feel a little less scared. Mulder wasn't
going to apologise though.
It was probably his fault though. Mulder sighed. Why couldn't he
have been confined with someone else. Not that he would have wished
this on anyone else, but at least with Sean or Alex, he could have
spent the time having some hot, hard, mind-numbing sex. Now there
was a nice thought! He missed Alex so much, but he was just
beginning to realise how much he enjoyed being taken by Kulain.
Giving himself up to the big demon, surrendering himself, letting
Kulain do whatever he wanted.
Mulder's body suddenly wanted Kulain. He could almost feel the
demon's tongue working its way down his spine, a prelude to sex.
Kulain would taste his skin, savouring the salty taste of his Fox,
baring him, a prize to be sucked and nuzzled and licked and....
Mulder jammed his hand in his mouth so that Ricky wouldn't hear him
groan. His other hand was somehow wrapped around his incredibly hard
cock as he stroked himself urgently. He tried to angle his body away
from the younger man. Ricky would laugh at him if he discovered what
Mulder was doing. The runt had an unexpectedly sharp tongue and knew
how to use it.
But it was Ricky who moaned aloud.
Mulder found himself irresistibly watching Ricky as the other man
pulled at his clothes and tugged them off as quickly as he could.
There was a strange warmth in the air, as if the room was heating
itself. As if his blood was fever warm.... His senses felt amazingly
acute, and Mulder could have sworn that he could smell Ricky. A
musky scent signalling Ricky's readiness to be taken. Mulder could
feel his thoughts beginning to fragment again.
"Sorry....!" Ricky whined. He was staring at Mulder, eyes fixed on
the older man's too obvious erection. "Need you......" He began to
crawl naked towards Mulder, on his hands and knees.
Mulder realised, with his last coherent thought, that the aliens had
once again chosen to control him, then Ricky was clutching at his
knees, his supple body stretched out in surrender. Mulder didn't
remember stripping. It was as if his brain jumped straight to the
best scenes. He was suddenly in Ricky, feeling the tightness
enclosing him as he fucked Ricky hard, pounding his way into the
whining younger man's ass.
Ricky grovelled, shoulders low and ass high, choosing the
subordinate position, as he had often done with Alex. But from the
way he was grinding his rear against Mulder, he was enjoying himself
immensely. Mulder was aware of the little breathy sounds Ricky made.
He increased the speed of his thrusts, and those tiny, arousing
sounds became more intense, more needy. Mulder lost himself in the
moment, Ricky had such a great ass...
His orgasm and Ricky's came almost simultaneously, and Mulder felt
his hot seed loose itself into the other man's depths. In fact, he
felt as though the top of his head had just blown off.
It wasn't like a normal orgasm, but something far more satisfying
and fatiguing. So much so that he was still buried deep inside Ricky
when he sank into an exhausted sleep.
Ricky too, had come explosively, and sank into deep, satisfied sleep
with Mulder's body wrapped protectively around him.
The bounty hunter had hungrily watched the two men having sex.
Mulder would have been gratified to know that he had been right
about the aliens manipulating them again. The implants both men
carried had been used to create a particular chemical imbalance. It
was termed "The Rut," and would be used from now on to control and
manipulate Mulder and his companion. Every evening at dusk, their
bodies would receive appropriate stimulation.
It would keep them placid and control their aggression.
It would bond them together as mates, and make them more likely to
defend each other when attacked.
For the time of psychological testing and observation was at an end.
It was time to release them into the cavern system and have them
fight against other pairs. The quest for more efficient and stronger
host bodies continued, and the alien leaders had high hopes for the
two demon infected men.
The bounty hunter regretted that he couldn't indulge his desires for
the beautiful Mulder just yet. Demon specimens were so hard to
acquire and were considered rare and valuable. Perhaps later when
their survival test was over, he would teach Mulder new and
delightful ways to serve him....... The pretty Ricky could help too.
If they survived, that is
In emotional retreat, a human starts to shut off even those who are
nearest and dearest to him. Unable to reach out for emotional
support, he becomes tense and strained, and possibly, in the end,
violent..... To touch means to hurt...
Desmond Morris—Intimate Behaviour
Alex shivered as he stood at the scene of his crime. In the cold
morning light, he barely recognised the alleyway as the scene of
last night's massacre. Now, it looked like a slaughterhouse,
something he found it hard to associate with his own actions. And
now there were three bodies, not just two...... The corpses had been
piled high and impaled on a metal spike, topped off by a severed
head. With increasing horror, Alex recognised the face of the third
man as being that of one of the other men in the bar.......
He remembered the vivid awareness he had of being watched last
night. Not his imagination then. There really had been another,
someone more than human. No ordinary being could have demonstrated
such strength. His skin prickled. There was something warning his
instincts, even now. An awareness of being watched from somewhere
close by.... He glanced quickly around him. Nothing, except the
myriad of law enforcement officers who had been called to the scene.
The media were being kept well away from the scene. But there was an
itch between his shoulder blades that suggested that somewhere, a
hidden watcher observed the alleyway.
The watcher was good, if Alex couldn't spot him. He hesitated,
trying to decide whether to tell Sean, who appeared deep in
conversation with Skinner.
No. Perhaps not. He might give away his secret. He cast an eye
around him again, and just for an instant, in a shadowed corner of
an overhanging rooftop, he saw a flash of green. A demon with green
eyes........
It wasn't possible, surely......
Alex growled softly, for once, his self pity being replaced by
anger. If it was Kulain....... Then he would find no welcome from
Alex.
Sean found that he had been given a privileged degree of access to
the crime scene. He could go anywhere, and question any of the
investigators. By the time he had checked everything out, it was
becoming increasingly obvious that this was a non human crime. The
way the victims had been torn apart...... The sign that claws had
been used, and the strength that had been needed to rip a man's head
off. And as he observed the investigation, Sean became aware of
Skinner working nearby, occasionally glancing towards Sean, checking
on him.
Sean pretended not to notice Skinner's scrutiny, keeping his eyes
lowered, and trying not to blush. The AD was a consummate
professional, putting his job first, and Sean felt a need to impress
him. His chance came when the scene had been fully photographed, and
the coroner wished to remove the bodies. The two men given the job
of removing the metal spike found it stuck fast in the ground. It
was Sean who moved forward to help them, and his strength that
pulled it from the ground. Skinner gave a brief nod of approval.
"You're strong!" he said warmly. Sean found himself almost
inevitably blushing again. He wasn't used to collaborating so
closely with attractive men outside Kulain's group. Skinner smiled,
then as his gaze fell upon something else, he frowned. Then the AD
leaned in close, and Sean caught a hint of some spicy masculine
fragrance.
"You should see to Alex!" Skinner murmured. "He looks lost here."
Sean turned to follow his gaze, and shivered slightly. Alex was
totally ignoring the busy investigation around him, and was staring
off into space, looking so alone....
He moved instinctively, and as he came closer, his hand
automatically reached for Alex's. For a moment, the older man's face
softened, and there was a hesitant response. But then Alex seemed to
realise what he was doing, and jerked his hand away coldly.
"Don't!" he snapped.
Sean sighed. It had been worth a try. If only something could break
through that icy reserve that Alex had developed. A defence against
the whole world. They had once been so close, but now Alex was
starting to reject even his smallest efforts at comfort.
"Alex..... I don't think you need to be here. Maybe you should go
home....?"
Then it was Sean who recoiled, as he saw the madness lurking in
Alex's eyes for the first time. Burning green insanity, that froze
his blood in his veins, and made him stumble back in fright.
"Sure," Alex said quietly. "I think I'll head uptown. See you
later." He sounded so normal and matter of fact, but Sean knew now
what his apparently cool exterior hid.
How could he have missed the signs....?
Yet Alex sounded so normal..... Torn by conflicting emotions, and
already doubting what he had seen, Sean could only let Alex leave.
Alex found himself wandering for hours, through shopping districts
and quiet residential streets, not really caring. Vaguely, he had an
idea about tiring himself, so that he might be able to sleep
tonight. His dreams were so haunted these days. Every night, Fox
seemed to be calling to him from a vast distance away. Pleading for
help sometimes. And often just sobbing in fear. For Sean's sake he
had tried to get a grip on himself, but it was so very hard....
Last night, he had given in to the madness for a while. He had
killed. And it had been so difficult afterwards to return to
humanity. He remembered the horror of it, trying to cleanse his
hands of the blood, scraping those small fragments of skin from
beneath his fingernails. And the temptation.... He was scared of the
darkness inside him now. It was a monster, and even now he heard it
whispering to him, wanting him to release it again. No wonder people
believed in demonic possession!
He realised sickly then, where his aimless wanderings had taken him.
The one place in Washington that he knew would call to his madness.
Somewhere he had been determined not to visit.
He felt his knees fold beneath him as his body began to curl up
foetally into a ball. Huddling in on himself, he felt the tears
begin to trickle down his face as he stared at the blasted landscape
that was the only grave marker Fox Mulder possessed. The crater that
marked the place where Mulder and Ricky had died.
Somehow, Sean had gained for himself an invitation to dinner. He had
found himself telling Skinner all of his troubles, as they worked
together, and it had been so good to share his worries. The AD was
so easy to talk to. It was as if they had been colleagues and
friends for years, instead of a couple of days. The conversation had
drifted to what he thought of Washington, and Sean had remarked that
he hadn't found an Italian restaurant that he liked yet. Then the
big man had incredibly offered to make him a meal tonight.
He had briefly stopped at home to change, and had noted uneasily
that Alex wasn't there. But in the last few weeks, Alex hadn't kept
regular hours. And Sean had no idea where to look for him anyway. He
headed off for a night of good food and interesting conversation.
Not sex though. Definitely not!
Alex rocked himself back and forth, keening softly under his breath,
curled up tightly against the ruined wall of an abandoned building,
part of the shell of the warehouse complex that still remained. He
had been there so very long, but he hadn't really noticed the
passage of time. It was dusk now, so he must have spent the best
part of the afternoon here. It was cold, yet he had barely noticed.
Sometime during his vigil, he had begun to feel closer to the long
dead Fox. This was where Fox was now. Shouldn't he be close to his
love? Yes. That seemed right. Fox was so cold here though, with no
one to keep him warm....
The sound of laughter intruded. Three humans, stumbling about in the
rubble, evidently looking for a place they could smoke a little pot.
He could smell it on them, a sickly human scent that filled him with
revulsion. That they would intrude on this place..... He shifted
slightly, and they hesitated.
"Just a wino!" One of them giggled. "Nobody else here."
"Oh yeah. Let's have some fun, Joe! What is this place anyway?"
The other took a long drag of his joint.
"Some place that was blown up last month. It was on the news. Some
Feds got cooked....."
Alex moaned. They had no right in this place. Damn them. They were
desecrating the place where Fox was buried......
With a snarl, he sprang to his feet, eyes blazing green claws
unsheathed as he readied himself. He would cut them down like death
with a scythe. He would paint the earth red with their blood for
daring to come here. With a scream of rage, he launched himself
towards the now cowering humans. Something slammed into him from
behind, something immensely strong, that wrapped its arms around him
and held him immobile, no matter how much he kicked and clawed and
struggled.
"No, Alex!"
He screamed in rage and despair, but the force holding him was
immovable.
"Look at them, Alex!"
The voice gave him no choice. Finally, with a sob of frustration, he
obeyed. And found himself staring at three terrified kids, none of
them as tall as his shoulder, who had sneaked into the old warehouse
for their first ever joint.
"Go!" Kulain snapped at the three. "Get out of here!" The kids fled.
Alex stopped struggling, and sagged back in Kulain's arms.
"That's it." Kulain said gently. "Don't fight me any more, Alex."
"I didn't know!" Alex whispered. "I swear...."
"Come away from here," Kulain said. His voice was more compassionate
than Alex had ever heard it before. "This isn't a good place for
you, Alex."
"But Fox needs me!" Alex protested. His voice broke. "He's so
cold...." Kulain made a sound of pain. The hands holding Alex were
suddenly very gentle.
"Why did you go.....?" Alex said unexpectedly. "You left me! I
needed you!" He tried to pull way from Kulain. "Leave me alone!"
"I'm sorry, little one." Kulain soothed him. "I'm here now." He
began to guide Alex away from the crater.
"I want to stay with Fox!" Alex pleaded. "Please....."
"You can visit later," Kulain lied.
Skinner had really gone to town on the meal he had prepared. Sean
couldn't remember when he had last been offered such a banquet. It
looked delicious. Yet his double damned mind kept drifting to
thoughts of sex and he felt acutely uncomfortable. Yet he had
dressed with seduction in mind. A pair of extremely close fitting
designer jeans, and a white shirt which was just thin enough to show
the dark haloes of his nipples. Definitely sluttish.
He knew Skinner had noticed. He had felt the AD's eyes on him.
It was hard to concentrate on the good food, because he kept getting
distracted. The AD was such a big, strong looking man, and Sean kept
imagining how he would appear without those concealing clothes. And
every time he checked Skinner out, the AD seemed to notice and their
eyes met. Sean tried desperately hard not to blush, but it was so
difficult.
"Kulain has good taste!" Skinner said unexpectedly. Sean gaped,
momentarily speechless. He felt a rush of blood to his cock, and
tried to ignore the developing hardness there.
"Er.... Thanks!" he finally replied. Damn! The way he kept blushing,
Skinner must think him a fool.
Skinner didn't make any other references to Sean's protector. The
conversation moved onto music and sports preferences. And finally,
they finished the meal. Skinner picked up his glass of wine and led
Sean over to the balcony of his apartment. The two of them gazed out
at the city lights. Sean shifted uncomfortably after a few minutes.
Being this close to Skinner reminded his body of those things he
needed.... Skinner must have noticed his discomfort.
"I'm not going to jump your bones Sean!" Skinner chuckled. Sean
grinned back at him ruefully. Maybe he should be more honest about
what he wanted.
"I was rather hoping you would....,." he told Skinner. The older
man's smile deepened, then decisively he stepped closer and reached
out a hand to tilt Sean's chin upwards. His mouth came down hard
over Sean's, and he took a kiss. Sean kissed back, hard, pulling
Skinner against him.
"Slow down, Sean!" Skinner laughed. "I'm not going anywhere. Just
tell me what you want...." Sean shivered. From this point onwards,
there was no turning back.
"Fuck me!" he said emphatically. "Fuck me hard!"
Something seemed to kindle in Skinner's eyes.
"I was hoping you'd say that!" he said.
Sean pulled his shirt over his head, and stepped quickly out of his
jeans. He was naked beneath them. Skinner's eye widened and he
sighed in appreciation. With a practised grace, Sean knelt, and
began to unbuckle Skinner's belt. A big hand cupped his face, and
Skinner took control.
"Now, my beauty. You're going to put a condom on me. With your
mouth!"
"Yes, sir!" Sean whispered. A few moment's later, when he had
uncovered Skinner's heavy erection, and surrounded it with
glistening, wet rubber, he dropped onto all fours and wriggled his
ass in invitation. Skinner was almost as big as Kulain, and Sean
wanted him. He wanted to be taken by a big, powerful man.
"Fuck me, sir!" he pleaded, sensing how much Skinner liked this
particular game.
Skinner did.
What had he just done? Alex couldn't seem to focus his thoughts
properly. He had been acting so crazily. If it hadn't been for
Kulain, he would have killed innocent victims. It had seemed so
clear, an hour before, but now it was like a rapidly fading bad
dream.
Kulain had brought him home and shoved him in the shower, still
fully clothed, until he had stopped shivering. Alex wasn't sure how
he had gotten so cold. He had fumbled his wet and steaming clothes
off, and had wrapped himself in a large, fluffy towel. Kulain had
pushed him into the living area, when he emerged from the bathroom,
and he had been firmly seated in front of a blazing fire, with a cup
of hot coffee in his hand. One sip later, he suspected the drink was
dosed with something alcoholic and powerful.
It was good to be bullied into looking after himself. Finally.
"Where were you?" he asked Kulain. Green eyes watched him closely.
"It wasn't safe to be near me, Alex. I went crazy for a while. I
could have hurt you.!
".....I was crazy too just now, wasn't I?" Alex whispered. He
shivered. "It was just..... that place! I'm sorry......" He began to
cry. Then Kulain's arms were around him, and he was crying
helplessly in his lover's arms, Kulain stroked his back and soothed
him, and held him. Finally Alex lifted his tear stained face.
"Feeling better?" Kulain asked.
Alex nodded mutely. Kulain's hand reached out to stroke the tousled
hair away from his forehead. Alex flinched, drawing back away from
his touch, gathering together the last shreds of his resistance.
"Don't!" he snapped. "You still left me alone all that time!"
"You're very tense!" Kulain said, ignoring Alex's anger. "It's been
a while, hasn't it, Alex?" Alex snarled in response. Kulain's hand
drifted across his back, caressing him. Alex didn't try to push him
away, despite his apparent annoyance with Kulain.
Kulain felt it, the instant Alex's wary resistance turned into
something more, as Kulain's hands continued to stroke him. He
smiled. Alex was so very tense, the result of weeks of abstinence.
His pretty Alex had begun to moan softly. Kulain dropped to his
knees before Alex and pulled out the younger man's already rock hard
cock. His mouth closed over it, and Alex screamed.
A few seconds of pleasure were enough to send Alex over the edge. It
had been too long. He sagged against Kulain, who lifted him and
carried him into the bedroom.
He laid Alex down on the bed, and began to trace kisses down Alex's
spine. It had been just as long for him, and it was all he could do
to keep his touch gentle, and hold himself back. His need was at
least as powerful as Alex's. He rolled Alex onto his stomach and
began at his shoulders, a calming, soothing movement of his tongue
across the strong shoulders. He could feel the muscles in Alex's
back beginning to un-knot and relax, as his lover began to trust
again, to surrender to Kulain's will. He tasted traces of fear and
pain, and a newly awakening sexual heat that he would use to his
advantage. He knew his tongue was slightly rough, by human
standards, and delicately trailed it down Alex's spine, sensing from
Alex's small movements, the nerves bunched just below the surface.
Alex's breath quickened slightly. Good, he liked that.
Kulain tugged at the towel still wound loosely around Alex's waist,
and tossed it aside. He savoured the sight of Alex's firm, muscular
ass. Alex turned slightly on the bed, so he could watch Kulain.
"Please...." Alex whispered. "I need to see you....!"
With a predatory smile, Kulain let him lie on his back, and swiftly
fastened his mouth onto a nipple, making Alex cry out as he was
mercilessly suckled. Kulain felt Alex's newly wakened cock pressing
against him as he tormented the rosy pebble. A kiss then and Alex
cried out as his mouth was covered. Kulain tasted his sweetness, and
felt himself grow iron hard.
He nuzzled the sweet flesh of Alex's neck. The younger man was
becoming increasingly enthusiastic, and his body was beginning to
rub instinctively against Kulain, He spread his legs wide, and
tugged Kulain down on top of him. The demon fought his own baser
instincts, and forced himself under control. Alex needed a certain
gentleness now, despite his increasingly urgent pleas for his lover
to hurry. A sweet scented oil was used to gently tease Alex open,
despite his efforts too hurry the proceedings.
Kulain slid home. Alex sighed softly, and his hands clung tightly to
the demon. Kulain began to move, and Alex arched against him, legs
wrapping round the demon as he let himself be swept away by Kulain's
lovemaking.
Kulain finally could satisfy his own needs too. And those needs were
considerable.
Some time later, he found himself cradling an exhausted Alex close.
His green eyed lover had lasted far longer than Kulain had expected.
Four times he had managed to bring Alex to orgasm, and his own need
had now receded to more comfortable levels. A pity Sean seemed to
have disappeared. His little slut's usual wanton behaviour would
have been a perfect end to the evening. No matter. Tomorrow he would
find Sean and give him what the younger man must be frantically
craving right now. Sean was so highly sexed that he needed extremely
regular attention. Kulain, of course, was happy to give him what he
needed.
Alex moved closer, muttering something sleepily. Kulain kissed the
sweat stained forehead. His gesture evidently soothed Alex, for the
younger man nestled into Kulain's side with a contented sigh.
"Fox....," he whispered softly.
So lovely, but so vulnerable now, his sanity in question, and his
soul broken in two. Kulain vowed to protect his beloved Alex, no
matter what the threat.
He wrapped his arms tightly around his beauty and pulled him closer.
Alex pressed back against him, whimpering in his sleep. Kulain
stroked the bad dream away. He didn't need the sleep, so he watched
over his lover throughout the night.
Alex woke, from the first dreamless sleep he had known in weeks. He
was lying on his bed, wrapped in silken sheets. Strangely, he felt
good. His body felt sated for the first time in ages, and there was
a delicious ache between his legs that called to mind memories of
writhing beneath Kulain's powerful body.
Odd though, that he had screamed at the top of his voice last night,
and Sean hadn't appeared. Not even to see if anything was wrong with
him. And after all his hints about having sex... He rose to his feet
and moved towards the mirror. His face looked flushed and healthier
than it had before. Then the door to his room swung open, and Kulain
entered, smiling gently at him. He let the demon draw him close, and
rested his head on a strong shoulder. He felt safe now. Kulain was
there to hold onto him again. For now, it was enough.
Mulder felt himself gradually drifting into wakefulness. He murmured
Alex's name sleepily, not sure where he was or who he was with.
Something wasn't right, and his mind wasn't quite conscious enough
to deal with it. He could feel a warm, male scented body against
his, and he could feel it stirring beneath him. The movement was
increasing. A firm, strong body, half familiar..... The other being
abruptly intensified his struggles, and Mulder was brought fully
awake by a painful dig to the ribs.
"Get off me, Mulder, you son of a bitch!"
He realised belatedly that he was lying on top of a loudly
complaining Ricky. He started to pull away from the younger man, and
realised that he was covered with someone's dried semen, his skin
sticking painfully to Ricky's. The young man yowled in pain as they
pulled apart, and began swearing loudly. Mulder tried to gather his
thoughts. Apparently last night they had fucked each other again. He
wasn't sure he wanted to remember all the details, but from the way
Ricky was rubbing his ass and muttering, apparently, he had come off
worst last night.
Mulder turned to their water source, a pipe in the corner of the
room that continually ran with water, and found it dry. And as he
was absorbing this fact, the wall in front of him began to slide
upwards. Not the same entrance as before. This one revealed a vast
cavern beyond, a dozen miles wide and obviously inhabited, judging
from the sounds of animals calling in the distance. The place was
lit brightly by what appeared to be a miniature sun, high above
them, well enough for this place to be thickly forested. There was
a slightly unpleasant smell, a mixture of rotting vegetation, the
sickly perfume of some jungle flower, and the faintest suggestion of
something long dead.
Ricky moved to stand at his side as he stared out over the cavern.
"I think the rats have just been put in the maze!" Mulder said
softly.
Sean arrived back at the tower late in the morning. He heard someone
moving around in the kitchen, and headed that way. At least his
worries for Alex were apparently groundless. Alex probably wouldn't
even notice that Sean was wearing yesterday's clothes, or that his
lips were more than a little kiss bruised. Or that he couldn't quite
walk straight. Walter was quite a man, as he had repeatedly
demonstrated it last night. He had been happy to give Sean what he
needed so badly. Sean had proved to the AD what an appreciative slut
he was, too.
Mmmmm. Very appreciative indeed.
"Hi, Alex!" he called, popping his head round the edge of the door.
He realised immediately how much trouble he was in. Kulain was
there, with Alex! Two sets of bright, green eyes surveyed him
curiously. Alex whistled, and raised an eyebrow. He was sitting on
Kulain's lap, and the demon's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Shit!" Sean muttered.
"And whose bed did you sleep in last night?" Alex enquired
curiously. He unexpectedly chuckled, for the first time that Sean
had heard since his loss. Sean stared at him. Then inevitably his
eyes met Kulain, who had one arm wrapped casually around Alex.
Kulain seemed just as surprised as Sean at Alex's cheerful mood. An
understanding passed between them. Alex would come first at the
moment, no matter what Kulain thought of Sean's infidelity.
"A good question!" Kulain said coolly. The demon tilted his head to
one side and sniffed the air. Then he displayed his surprise.
"Skinner!" he said decisively. Sean felt his stomach flip over.
Kulain may choose not be openly critical of him, but there was a
dangerous gleam in his eyes that threatened trouble in the future.
Why did Kulain have to show up one day too late?
Cheating by one individual tends to provoke punishment by the other.
The "punisher" ends the relationship, denies further sexual access
or chooses to have sex with someone else.
G. Miller—The Mating Mind
Kulain appeared to have acquired a shadow. Alex. His beautiful lover
was more stable now that Kulain had returned, but he seemed to
suffer acute anxiety whenever Kulain left him for a long period. As
if he was scared to lose someone else. He was a constant, silent
presence near Kulain, his green eyes still haunted, although he
seemed less nervous. Perhaps they comforted each other, Kulain
mused. He felt his protective instincts come to the fore when he was
close to Alex and it gave him less time to brood on the loss of his
beautiful Fox.
Sean, on the other hand, was causing him a surfeit of problems. The
younger man had openly admitted his liaison with Skinner. Yet he
seemed penitent, and had made himself irritating with his attempts
to apologise. Not that anything he said could make a difference.
Sean was no longer one of the favoured few. He had betrayed Kulain's
trust, and now their relationship would change. Kulain considered
his options coolly. Sean was his. The betraying little whore
should be punished for seeking out another lover. Eventually, Kulain
might forgive him. But not yet. Still, there was a way to make this
situation work in his favour.........
When Alex headed for his evening shower, Kulain made his move. He
hunted Sean out and found the younger man closeted in his room, his
mood one of brooding misery. They had a short time alone to discuss
matters. When he saw Kulain, Sean looked pathetically hopeful. There
was another futile excuse coming now, Kulain could tell. They stood,
facing each other.
"Please, Kulain......" Sean said. "I'm sorry... Don't be angry with
me....."
"Sorry you got caught?" Kulain responded coolly. Sean sighed and
lowered his head in shame.
"Sorry I didn't wait for you!" He tried to sound humble. "But I
needed it so much, and you weren't there.... I felt so bad. I needed
someone to hold me..."
"You wanted sex!" Kulain snapped, annoyed now. "Admit it!"
"Er.... well...... yeah!" Sean blushed. "Skinner's big, like you
and, well..... he took care of me." Kulain glared.
"It was fun!" Sean said desperately.
"Skinner? Fun?" Kulain looked astonished.
"Sure." Sean said. "I pretended I was a new agent, and he was giving
me orders....."
Kulain growled. Sean decided that maybe he'd just made things worse.
Kulain moved from the doorway towards Sean's king size bed, and sat
on the edge of it. Was that a good sign? Sean couldn't tell. But
then, they had always seemed to do most of their communication in
bed. Some things just didn't seem to need words. if only Kulain
would touch him, he would know he was forgiven......
Sean moved closer, a small action that he hoped Kulain wouldn't
notice. When Kulain failed to react, Sean knelt gracefully in front
of him, lowering his head contritely. Giving Kulain a psychological
advantage might help.
The demon did notice. Kulain had chosen not to react. He allowed the
pretty young man to show his subservience. He knew what he wanted
from Sean, a way for the younger man to redeem himself.
"It's going to be hard for me to forgive you, Sean," Kulain stated.
Sean didn't know what he could say to make things right again. He
bowed his head further and tried not to give in to his misery, but
his mind was in a turmoil. Kulain seemed immovable, not even
deigning to meet his gaze when he dared glance upwards. Finally,
Sean could no longer restrain the words and he began to beg.
"I'll do anything.... anything at all. If I can only make it right!"
Kulain's powerfully muscled legs were stretched out in front of him
and he relaxed fractionally as he sat on the bed. Something in his
posture made Sean continue. A hint of approval?
"Whatever you want...... Please. I love you! I want to be with
you..... Please...."
Kulain drew his long legs towards him, parting them slightly. Sean
moaned aloud. Kulain was aroused, his movement meant to ease the
pressure on his thick erection. Sean could see the cloth covered
swelling of it and he whimpered softly. He wanted it more than
anything else in the world, but he knew Kulain wouldn't allow him to
touch it.
"There is something I want, little one......" Kulain said softly.
"You promised to do anything......." A hand moved down to rest on
the tempting bulge, long taloned fingers making tiny rubbing
movements.
".....Anything.......!" Sean breathed, hardly daring to hope.
Kulain smiled then.
"You will continue to see Skinner!" Kulain's voice was ice. Sean
drew a breath in shock. "You will give him whatever pleasures he
demands. And you will report everything he does to me!"
Sean whimpered, his eyes wide.
"Spy on him...?" he whispered.
Kulain uncovered his erection, its big length springing free from
its confinement. A glistening drop of fluid formed at its tip. Sean
inched closer, until he was restrained by a stern glance.
"You said anything, Sean. Ask yourself who ordered Fox into that
warehouse. Skinner! I suspect that he takes his orders from enemies
of mine high up in Washington government. I want their heads......!
Will you obey me?"
Sean nodded reluctantly. Tentatively, he placed a small kiss on the
inside of Kulain's firm thigh. Kulain finally smiled, firmly in
control once more. He gestured towards his hard cock. Sean scrambled
frantically on his hands and knees to obey, eagerly applying himself
to attending his master. Kulain gently stroked his sweet whore's
head as Sean eagerly licked and sucked at him. Sean was practically
purring with pleasure at the generous bounty he had been given, and
Kulain wasn't even going to take him. No. Sean hadn't earned that
yet, but his small ecstatic cries and his conscientious performance
showed how happy he was to be given even this small concession.
His pretty lover was totally addicted to Kulain. But the demon
stubbornly refused to accept that he craved the attentive mouth and
willingly offered body.
Alex chuckled softly, surprising them. Sean raised his head,
reluctantly pulling away from Kulain, his mouth glistening with
moisture. Alex didn't realise that both of them were so concerned
about him that they would even halt their intimacy to check on him.
"I guess you've made up," Alex smiled a little sadly. "I'm glad. You
shouldn't fight. You really think this is important.....?"
Neither Kulain nor Sean contradicted Alex, who had assumed that
they'd made up. It was unspoken between them that the loss of Fox
was the only important thing for Alex. Hesitantly, Alex approached
them, and both of them reached out to draw him into a three way
embrace. Sean wasn't going to spoil things by telling Alex he wasn't
exactly forgiven yet. He snuggled closer to Kulain, putting his arms
around his big lover and sighing contentedly. Kulain tensed
slightly, but allowed it. While Alex was there, Kulain wouldn't
openly reject him, so Sean decided he could take a few liberties.
Perhaps.
Hesitantly, Alex slipped between them, pressing back against Kulain,
and gently drawing Sean against him. He was wearing only a towel and
still had small gleaming droplets of moisture on his skin. It was
the first time he had made advances to Sean or Kulain since his
loss. He sensed their mood change immediately, from uneasy truce to
something more gentle and loving, their differences put aside. He
needed their arms around him at the moment. He didn't want them to
fight any more
"I don't want to think about anything tonight!" Alex murmured. "I
just want to feel you both....."
Kulain smiled. That at least was easy to do. Sean lowered his head
once more to attend to the delicious length in front of him, licking
and sucking at it. At the same time, he waggled his ass temptingly
at Alex. A slight thud marked the removal of the towel that was all
that Alex wore. Then Alex moved up close behind him, moaning
slightly as he pressed up against Sean. Sean barely gasped as Alex's
full length slid inside him. Slut that he was, Sean tried to keep
his body well prepared for these unexpected penetrative moments when
he was around Kulain. Alex knew it too, from the soft chuckle he
gave when he sheathed himself so smoothly. Sean was glad to hear the
small sound. But he was letting himself get distracted. Then Alex
began to slide easily in and out of his well prepared ass and gave
him a timely reminder.
"Do it hard, Alex!" Sean pleaded, not entirely clearly. He had his
mouth full at the time. His own erection was hard and bobbed heavily
against his taut belly. When Alex thrust into him, it felt so very
good. Alex wasn't holding back any more; he was practically
bellowing out his passion as he pushed in, the force of his entrance
thrusting Sean forward, pushing Kulain's magnificent erection deeper
down his throat.
With a scream, far too soon for Sean, Alex bucked against him,
sending a hot flood deep inside him. Alex pulled out, panting
heavily and sank to his knees beside Sean, watching the free show
with a faint smile. Kulain laughed, his hips thrusting once, twice,
and Sean's mouth was filled with Kulain's seed. He hungrily
swallowed it, licking down every drop greedily, then with a moan he
looked down at his very hard, leaking cock and whimpered in
frustration.
Kulain chuckled. Despite his resolve to teach Sean a lesson, the
young man looked very desirable, his face flushed with desire, his
green eyes dilated and the promise of those sweet, hot depths that
Alex had just sampled. And letting Sean feel a little frustrated was
even amusing Alex, a worthwhile enough end in itself.
Kulain felt himself begin to stir again already. It was probably the
sight of those pretty, moist lips and the slight flutter of Sean's
tongue as he sought to lick himself clean of Kulain's juices. Two
sets of green eyes now eagerly watched Kulain, seeking a sign that
he was ready again. Well yes, that time had come, but pretty Sean
would have to wait. Alex was going to ride him next, and he planned
to take his time, drive Alex into tormented ecstasy before he could
come. Sean could make himself useful though. Watching that pretty
pink tongue and soft mouth working on Alex as he sat astride Kulain
would be quite stimulating.
Kulain rolled off the semi conscious Sean and lay at his side.
Perhaps he had gone a little too far beyond his original objectives.
But when he had finally slid home inside Sean and the younger man
had ecstatically started to push himself upwards against his big
lover, Kulain had been unable to hold himself back. With Sean, like
few others, he could thrust deeper and harder, knowing that the slut
would get pleasure from it rather than discomfort. Oh yes, tonight
he had given Sean the pleasure he sought. But Alex.... ? Not
recovered in mind, but at least apparently stable....
Alex put his arms around the younger man and drew him close, so that
his head rested on Alex's shoulder. He seemed to take comfort in the
contact. Kulain lay on his other side, and reached out to stroke
Alex's arm in reassurance. Sean was sandwiched between them and
sighed in sleepy contentment.
"I haven't forgotten what he did!" Kulain admitted softly to Alex.
"I know," Alex replied. He hugged Sean to him, and green eyes as
deep as the ocean studied Kulain. "You will!" Alex said with
certainty. He buried his face in Sean's hair and hugged him tight.
He was right, Kulain mused. Whatever Alex wanted would be so. There
was nothing Alex could ask that he would refuse.
Mulder and Ricky moved cautiously away from their prison, and down
towards the floor of the cavern, far below. There was a trail of
sorts through the huge boulders that littered the steep slope, and
Mulder wondered how long it had taken for the shallow depression to
be worn into the rock by the passage of thousands of feet over the
years. Wherever this place was, it had evidently undergone upheaval
at some time, judging by the great rifts he could see in the walls
of the cavern. There was a suggestion of immense age.
"I wonder who made this place?" Ricky said. They seemed to have an
uneasy truce at the moment. They mostly detested each other, but
their survival instincts were stronger than their squabbles about
sex and Alex. The younger man seemed content at the moment to let
Mulder take all of the decisions. And he felt so stiff today.... his
limbs ached and there was a distant throbbing in his head that
suggested he was maybe getting a cold?
"Maybe our alien hosts built this cavern?" Mulder said. "It must
have taken years to complete. We should head for that clearing I can
see down there.
Ricky mumbled something indistinct in reply. Mulder didn't even
notice, he was too fascinated by his surroundings. But as they
travelled downhill, their progress became slower and slower. The
jungle growth became too thick for easy progress. Soon it became
apparent that they were totally lost. Mulder began to curse loudly
as he found his way blocked by a thicket of thorn bushes. Ricky
grinned at him which only aggravated him further.
"Shut up!" he said, as Ricky opened his mouth to comment. "If I
climb that tree, I should be able to see the way."
While Mulder rather awkwardly climbed the tree, trying to see more
of their surroundings, Ricky sank down gratefully and took a short
rest. He sat on a rock and stared at the all but impenetrable
vegetation that covered the floor of the cavern. Lots of different,
confusing shades of green, a few streaks of gold, and the sickly
purple scatter of blooms from some jungle vine. At least it was
fairly warm. He could hear Mulder cursing as he climbed higher. A
small scatter of twigs falling from his tree showed that progress
was slow and painful. Ricky grinned nastily. A few bruises would be
good for Mulder. After all the bruises he had given the younger
man......
Something moved in the undergrowth next to him.
Ricky froze momentarily, then very slowly turned his head towards
the sound. The gold he had seen a moment earlier among the leaves
was moving, a slow, gliding motion that wasn't human. From behind a
branch, a serpent appeared, as big as a man. Green emerald eyes
stared unblinkingly at Ricky. Definitely not human, yet there was
something conscious in those green orbs. A sharp intelligence, and a
growing curiosity. Yet no malice. Ricky sensed no threat at all,
despite his initial apprehension.
The two of them watched each other for long moments. Then a
crunching noise and a yell of annoyance distracted Ricky. Mulder
slithered down the last few feet of the tree he had climbed,
considerably faster than he had gone up it. In those few moments,
the serpent disappeared. Ricky shut his mouth with a snap, he hadn't
even realised it was open, and he started to tell Mulder about the
snake. But the other man was too excited by what he had seen, and
pointed off towards the centre of the cavern.
"I saw something that way. Come on!"
Ricky shrugged to himself. Mulder probably wouldn't believe him
anyway. Whoever heard of a giant golden snake?
Hours later, with no end in sight to the jungle, it was apparent
that they had once again lost their way. The two of them rested,
sprawling opposite each other. Ricky looked exhausted, his green
eyes dulled and lifeless. Mulder was almost as tired, but he still
tried to keep alert. It was a bad idea, both of them sleeping at
once. There were too many unknown dangers in this place. He decided
to let Ricky rest first, the younger man seemed far more fatigued
than a few hours of exploration could account for. Mulder frowned.
It came as a surprise to him that he cared about what happened to
his pretty companion.
His mind seemed to be wandering into areas that he really didn't
want to contemplate. He would try to take his mind off Ricky by
checking out their immediate vicinity. And it was thus that he made
his great discovery.
In the thick vegetation on the verge of the clearing, he found a
wall of rock which appeared to form a small cliff. It was thickly
overgrown, but Mulder thought he could see some sort of design under
the remains of plants, which marked hundreds of years of neglect.
Curious, Mulder tugged at the roots of one tough looking climber and
it fell away from the wall to reveal part of a long forgotten
design. Mulder hissed in recognition. He recognised it as something
he had seen long ago, in a place beyond his comprehension. A dozen
symbols descended in a column of hieroglyphic text. And amongst them
was the familiar narrow diamond of the Sith, the strange symbol of
Kulain's demon world.
This place had once been a demon realm.
How the aliens had gained possession of it, Mulder didn't know, but
it was evidently very old, and much damaged by earthquakes. But it
made him feel suddenly more hopeful. There might be some way he
could use this to his advantage. He cast a look back at Ricky, who
had slowly clambered to his feet, and was moving listlessly after
Mulder. The older man frowned. It was obvious that something was
badly wrong with Ricky, but they weren't comfortable talking to each
other.
"It's all right. You can rest for a while." he told Ricky. Green
eyes flickered towards him in acknowledgement and Mulder hissed out
his breath in shock. Ricky's eyes were an almost luminous green and
even as Mulder watched in dawning comprehension, the younger man's
hands seemed to lengthen and shimmer, and long talons emerged as he
shifted.
"No!" Mulder yelled uselessly. "You can't do that now. Not here..."
He remembered the terror he had felt when he had seen Sean change
for the first time because of his own stupidity. "You have to
stop....."
Too late. Ricky screamed as the change was completed and he stared
at the long, deadly weapons now part of his hands, the light
suggestion of scales across his skin and the thickened and
strengthened muscle groups in arms and legs. Then Ricky flung back
his head and shrieked, a sound that was half terror and half
challenge. He tensed, and Mulder sensed he was about to run.
Mulder lunged at him, and collided with Ricky, using his own
enhanced speed to bring his younger opponent down. He sat on top of
Ricky, astride him, pinning the changed man's body to the ground.
Whatever happened, Ricky couldn't be allowed to escape into the
jungle alone. Not when he was like this. Out of control. Shifting
himself, he held Ricky down easily since he had a slight size
advantage over the younger man.
Ricky fought him, using his newly formed claws instinctively, until
Mulder thought of turning Ricky so that he faced the ground and it
was harder for him to claw at Mulder. Grimly, he held on, despite
the frantically thrashing body beneath his.
"Stop it!" he yelled. "You'll hurt yourself...." But Ricky was in
the grip of an all but instinctive fear and wasn't listening.
Mulder shouted at him again. Of all the times......
It would be dark soon, and Mulder had hoped to find somewhere more
secure to spend the night. He could hear the sound of howling and
screeching in the distance, as if the coming of night was a signal
for all creatures to issue a challenge to each other. Ricky's own
screams added to their chorus. Dusk began to descend.
Mulder felt it then, the half familiar, half dreaded pulse of heat
between his legs as the alien device within his head triggered
sexual need inside him.
"No!" he pleaded to his unseen captors. "Not like this....."
It was too late. In his shifted form, the intensity of his desire
was increased tenfold, and with it came a violence he couldn't
control. He felt his own talons sinking into the younger man's
shoulders. Ricky growled deep in his throat, and arched his back,
his own sexual needs similarly kindled. No longer fighting, but
clawing Mulder closer, as a more basic need came to the fore.
Mulder kissed him roughly and felt the younger man moan deep in his
throat. Firm thighs were already spreading to accommodate him, hips
lifting into position as Mulder's fingers clawed at the thin fabric
of his clothes, baring eager flesh.
He wasn't gentle. His rough thrusts made the younger man howl with a
mixture of pain and lust. Yet Ricky was pulling him closer, lifting
his legs higher so that Mulder could penetrate him more deeply. It
was more like a rut. Quick, hard sex with no concern for what his
partner wanted. Mulder had no control. Being shifted merely
emphasised his dominance, and the writhing Ricky didn't even try to
fight him off. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the way Mulder was
pounding into him. So much so, that he began to yell as orgasm took
him. Mulder could barely hold himself back from joining Ricky and
spilling his seed. But somehow he managed it, despite the sweet
pulse of the younger man's body around him.
"Not yet.....!" he hissed.
Ricky moaned in discomfort, and the green light seemed to die in his
eyes. The added sensation of Ricky's body shifting back to human
sent Mulder over the edge, and he finally came. For a brief moment
though, Ricky had lain beneath him, sane and free of the need for
sex, as a demon possessed Mulder fucked him. Horror shadowed his
green eyes.
As Mulder sagged on top of him, sanity returning to his mind, Ricky
turned his head to one side and began to cry softly. Mulder rolled
off him and sat up with a sigh of regret. He could feel the tug of
exhaustion threatening to claim him, but Ricky was so obviously
upset. Mulder hadn't intended to go so far.....
"I'm sorry..... Mulder whispered. Perhaps it was the misery in his
voice that convinced Ricky, but after a few moments Mulder saw the
younger man nod slightly.
It was that damned thing in his head! He could still hear sounds
distantly in the forest, as if other beings were also driven to mate
at dusk, rhythmic squeals,, howls and a weird sort off gibbering....
This place was occupied by god knows what creatures, and as dark
came, he felt increasingly unsafe, despite the fact that they hadn't
seen them yet.
"Come on!" he said to the shivering Ricky, as gently as he could.
"We have to find a safe place to spend the night."
He stood, then offered his hand to the other man. After a long
moment's hesitation, long fingers twinned round his and he tugged
Ricky to his feet. Mulder tiredly led his companion towards the
nearest rock outcrop, in search of a cave or overhang where they
could hide.
Green eyes watched the newcomers depart and their owner slowly
slithered down from his vantage point in the tree. These newcomers
were strange, but so very intriguing. Not like the others. These
ones could alter their shape in small ways that fascinated him. He
had distant memories of once doing that, long ago. And their eyes
held such a beautiful green glow.
Not like the dark ones who now ruled this place. Those cruel beings
had left him with memories of pain and misery. They had tormented
him for such a long time. He had escaped them, and fled from all
contact with other beings for so very long. Except for the small
things he hunted for food. There were no others like himself here.
The younger one had such beauty, and he felt so very lonely, so he
had let himself be seen by the human. Foolish indeed. But the human,
incredibly, hadn't screamed or tried to flee. They were heading into
danger though. He knew what lay at the cavern's centre and it was
frightening enough to make him hide in fear. Generally. But curious
now, and more in need of companionship than he dared admit, he
followed.
Ricky sat inside the cave, staring numbly at his hands, remembering
the inches long claws that had impossibly appeared there. He shook
his head in bewildered misery. What they had done together that
night had been beyond his wildest dreams. His deeper, darker
instincts had woken, and Ricky had been swept along by their power.
Now he had to face the reality of what he had become, and it
terrified him. With a sob, he buried his face in his hands and began
to cry quietly.
Mulder felt a pang of guilt. He should have known this would happen.
Only being close to Kulain could suppress the changes in Ricky's
body. Somehow, Kulain could retard the effects of his demon
infection. Now Ricky would have to face what he had become, through
no choice of his own. Mulder moved forward, and gathered Ricky
close. He was all that the younger man had. And strangely, there was
a comfort to be found in holding Ricky in his arms, soothing him.
After a moments surprise, Ricky clung to him, desperate for the
feeling of security he brought.
"Why....?" Ricky whispered. "Why did Kulain do this to me?" There
was a pathetic plea in his voice.
"Shhhh." Mulder soothed. "It's just part of what he is. A demon. He
finds humanity difficult to understand sometimes. Being with us is
the only way he has of learning about our kind...." Mulder paused,
and sensing that Ricky was listening to him closely, he considered
his next words carefully. "I think without us he would be far worse,
even cruel. He tries so hard to be gentle with us, but sometimes his
instincts are too powerful for him to ignore..... He had to have
you, and after that your changes were inevitable. Sean, Alex and I
just help each other to cope with it......"
Ricky sobbed louder at the mention of his love.
"I want Alex!" he wailed.
For once, Mulder wasn't angry.
"Yeah!" he said sadly. He felt a stray tear trickle down his cheek,
and hugged Ricky tighter. "Yeah, me too!" He silently mouthed a plea
to Alex. And for a moment he had the strongest feeling that Alex was
really standing next to him, listening to his desperate entreaty.
Wrapped in the arms of his two remaining lovers, Alex drifted in
uneasy sleep, as he had for so many nights. Even the exhaustion
brought by last night's lovemaking couldn't blank out the empty spot
in his mind. He couldn't seem to stop himself reaching out again and
again for Fox. It was as if his unconscious mind couldn't accept
the reality of Fox's death. Tonight was no exception. He seemed to
be flying over a confused and chaotic landscape, an uneasy jumble of
rocks, florid vegetation, dangerous looking creatures and a few
armed bands of cruel looking hunters. And there, on the edge of it
all, Mulder and Ricky.
Tonight's dream was the clearest so far. Mulder was holding an
anguished, sobbing Ricky close in his arms, both of them with
disarranged and ripped clothing. And this time, Mulder was crying
too. Then he lifted his head, almost as if he sensed his lover
watching him. Alex knew in that moment that this was real
"Alex..... Help us..... Please..... oh please.....!" Mulder mouthed
silently. Then he bowed his head so that his face was buried in
Ricky's hair, obviously still crying.
Alex woke with a tremendous cry, then the shivering came, a sign of
his intense shock. Sean jerking awake could only stare at him in
anguish. Kulain pulled him close, holding him, trying vainly to
soothe him. Finally Alex had recovered himself enough to speak.
"I dreamed about Fox!" Alex told them. "I think he's alive!" He
smiled radiantly. He didn't see the sorrow in their eyes, the
exchanged looks of deep concern. "We have to find him!"
Dark Angel's Fire
by Megaera
Competitions
Do rival species compete for resources? An interesting question.
Particularly if the species in question are intelligent. Just how
far would one group go to ensure that they had the advantage in
their competition? Certainly the theories predict that extinction
would be inevitable for the loser........
Mulder felt so degraded. He didn't see how he could be more
humiliated than he was at the moment. He would have done anything to
satisfy his compulsion for sex, and he would have let any convenient
partner take him. That it had been Ricky Caruso who took him in the
end only made it worse. Mulder hadn't even given the younger man a
choice, he had just jumped Ricky and used his greater experience to
stimulate Ricky to greater..... lengths. And on one level, it had
been quite satisfying. But the one person in the world he would
never have chosen to fuck him was Ricky. Maybe the other way
round..... The thought of Ricky sprawled out, ready for his
pleasure was marginally more appealing......
