The Things We Fear

A light burst around them. Enough to blind all those watching. As Marcus pushed the dagger in deeper, he accepted his role. It had was always been meant to come to pass. His place to walk the line of balance. The Seimetriuma was not an evil being, but it was not meant to be here. There were only a handful of creatures a generation with the magical capability to absorb something not of this realm. A handful of people who could take in energies so altered from this world and explode with the influx of foreign existence. The sheer strangeness was typically what caused the vessel to explode, or worse implode. Marcus was one of the rare few whose bodies could support something extra.

He couldn’t help thinking if that night in the basement was part of it. Had they recognised him as something different? Or had those beings reaching out to him altered Marcus in some way?

His shadows happily feasted on the Seimtriuma, claiming all the knowledge it held and everything its victims had once known. Marcus would have to be careful not to accidentally activate the ability in the future. Passively absorbing another’s knowledge was one thing, consuming their soul was another thing entirely.

As the Seimetriuma began to disintegrate, eagerly swooped up by Marcus’ magic, the blinding light began to fade. Leaving little more than a mal-formed husk on the ground. It didn’t feel like a victory.

Before anyone could ask him questions, his body gave out. It didn’t matter how much magical energy he held. Marcus was still a physical being. He needed sustenance to replace what he’d used for healing.

He heard Cassius shouting about getting everyone home safely before the world finally left.

“Marcus!” The high pitch scream was followed by a sudden weight on his chest. “You weren’t at breakfast?”

It took his eyes a few seconds to focus. The first sight he saw was the wet cheeks of his little brother.

“Sorry, Brodes, I needed a big sleep,” his voice sounded horse to his own ears.

“Your other daddy said you need to eat. And then we have to go say bye-bye to Lara.”

Marcus almost threw up. The rush of memories from Lara’s life he now held. She had truly been a sweet girl. Marcus would spend the rest of his life wishing he had the opportunity to know her better.

The thought of Lara brought up thoughts of James. Memories of Lara and the boy talking about how much he wanted to be near his mate. How much he missed Marcus. How much he hated Theo for taking the place he should have still had. The nights of junk food and B-rated horror movies as the two poured out their woes to sympathetic ears. Lara had helped his mate when Marcus couldn’t. No matter how much his body cried in pain, he would force himself to go to her funeral.

Raising his arms to put a shirt on felt like someone had attached weights with electrodes all over his limbs that were set to go off at random intervals. Heavy and painful. He was half tempted to ask Brody to get Theo and have the vampire carry him down the stairs. Only his pride kept him from indulging the idea.

“Dude, you look like shit.”

“Yeah, thanks, pal. I had no idea.”

Theo brought him into a bone-crushing hug that had Marcus wincing.

“Oh, fu-” seeing Brody was just behind them, “Fudgicles. Sorry, dude. Didn’t mean to hurt the merchandise.”

“It’s fine. I’m just tender. Where is everyone? Did anyone else get hurt? How’s Abigail?”

Theo held his arm, leading him into the dining room. Maybe Marcus wasn’t quite as steady on his feet as he’d originally thought.

“Everyone’s fine. Abby healed up after a few blood bags. They sent your wolf home for bed rest and the good reverend is okay, too. Honestly, the worst off was you. Surprised you’re up and talking already. You looked like a walking bruise when you got in last night.”

Marcus didn’t remember having bruised skin, but if his magic prioritised internal healing, it might have pushed the damaged further up. His legs had hurt. Maybe he’d just been too preoccupied to notice.

“What time is Lara’s funeral?”

“Around two, but dude, people will understand if you can’t get there.”

“I’m going,” his tone brokered no nonsense.

Theo held his hands up in defence. “Alright, just be careful.”

The boy’s head snapped up, tilting his ear to the side. Marcus assumed the boy was picking up on something out of human hearing range.

“Your wolves are here. Including the elder.”

Marcus couldn’t help pulling a face at that. Any day that involved Daniel was a sad day. The Toulez family entered the dining room. Brody jumped up to greet Anna, immediately chattering away with the young girl.

“Heard you had the big mate bomb dropped on you. Hurt my baby bro and mate or not, I’ll murder you.” Daniel said flatly, stealing some toast from the table.

“Out of the people in this room, my best bro is the only one who hasn’t hurt the other, so if there’s going to be any threats they’ll be me and Brodester warning the mutt about hurting our family,” Theo stared all the wolves down.

It filled Marcus’ chest with warmth to see his best friend be quick on his defense.

Hearing his name, Brody asked what the vampire was talking about.

“Making sure silly boys don’t go breaking our Markie’s heart,” he gestured to the wolf still standing near his mother in the doorway.

“Don’t be mean to my brother or I’ll set Cassius and his big magic on you.”

It broke the tension, everyone laughing (if a little awkwardly) at the innocence of the threat. Though Marcus knew if Cassius did unleash the “big magic” it would not be innocent. It was essentially the kid saying my dad could beat up your dad, but they all were aware Cassius could crush them all, if he chose to.

“No plans to, little man. I was hoping to talk to you, Marcus. Outside. If that’s okay?”

“It’s okay, but you have to let him rest because he’s a walking bruise, Theo said,” Brody answered for him.

Marcus chuckled, “You heard the man,” he smiled, slowly rising from the chair.

He stumbled, caught quickly by Zoe.

“I was hoping before the funeral we could also have a talk.” she looked to her son, “Clear up a few things.”

Marcus agreed. He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation, but she was right, they needed to have it.

James led them to a bench just outside the door.

“Can’t they still hear us?”

“No, there’s some sort of spell on the benches here. Cassius’ doing obviously. He wanted the option for people to have private conversations.”

The ever-suspicious part of his mind wondered if there were recording devices or spells nearby. Ways for Cassius to stay aware regardless of the dampening sensory spells. Marcus was trying to not keep jumping to the less than kind thoughts, but a decade of doubt wouldn’t be undone in a few days.

“Talk.”

James sighed. “I don’t really know where to start. All I can think is we’re putting my best friend’s body in the ground this afternoon, but I know I owe you an explanation.”

The memories from Lara’s point of view flooded his mind again. It was strange; hers were so vivid. The rest of the information was still setting. There were huge gaps. Like the fae who died, and the kelpie, they were barely there. Maybe it was because Marcus had known Lara, but then why were Rod’s memories not there yet? Marcus couldn’t understand it, and likely wouldn’t until all the new knowledge integrated into his mind. The Seimitriuma had been over ten thousand years old. Their life alone would take weeks to sort through.

Taking a deep breath, Marcus was glad to feel his ribs no longer protested.

“Answer me one thing. Well several parts. I know mates are meant to be treasured. You can probably understand why our situation feels like I was rejected. I know the reasons,” he said before James could protest. “I get it, but it doesn’t change that it feels like my mate learned who I was and decided I wasn’t worth the effort. Wasn’t wanted. Wasn’t good enough.”

He could see how each sentence landed like a blow on his ex-best friend.

“Do you,” his throat clogged, hacking to help the words escape, he managed to pry the words out, “Do you even want me? Us? Or is it because you think you don’t have a choice?”

He felt strong arms circle him. Pulling him onto the wolf’s lap. He could feel the other boy shaking. He didn’t dare look at James’ face. Scared what he might see.

“I want. I want so bad. Always have. Always will. If you’ll have me, I’d work every day towards proving to you how much I want you as my mate. Even just as my friend if that’s all you want.”

“I’m pretty sure during our kisses could smell how much I…” he trailed off. Hoping his cheeks weren’t as hot as they felt.

“Yeah,” the wolf responded through a strained breath. “It was hard to. To not push for more.”

He tucked his head into the wolf’s shoulder. He couldn’t quite look at the other.

“If your alpha asks us to stay away from each other again?” Because for Marcus that may forever be a worry.

“She wouldn’t not now we both know–”

He made a noise of protest.

“-But, even if she did, I’d chose you. I’ll always chose you.”

He squeezed the boy closer. Marcus didn’t know what to say, but sometimes words weren’t the right thing, anyway. When their lips connected, it felt like coming up for air. Like every bad thing they had experienced was a distant memory and as long as they were together, they could take on the world.

A cough had the two finally breaking apart. The shit-eating grins of Theo and Daniel smiling at them from a few metres away.

“Well, don’t you both look cosy? Room for one more?” Theo joked before sitting on the bench.

“Two,” Daniel mocked, taking the spot on the other side

“If you two become shit-stirring best friends, I’ll kill you both.” Marcus was only half joking. The idea of Theo and the elder Toulez brother being friends was enough to have him booking a flight to distant shores.

“Aww, don’t get jealous, bro. But like mummy monster,” he coughed at the two glares from the wolves, “I mean, the alpha wanted us to bring you back. In case you were trying to kill each other. I’m sure she’ll be delighted to know the only way to plan on murdering the other is through oxygen deprivation.”

Marcus stood from James’ lap just to have enough of a swin when he hit the other boy across the head.

“Ouch! So violent.”

“I’m hoping it’ll eventually knock some sense in there.”

Watching as the coffin disappeared behind the curtain was a discomforting feeling. A part of Marcus’ mind was aware the entire time how it was meant to be him. If he hadn’t set the thing on fire and escaped, the monster wouldn’t have needed to go after Lara that night. Logically, he knew it wasn’t his fault. The creature was going to kill, regardless. It might have still attacked Lara, or gotten to her another night. It might have gone after James or someone else. But logic and emotion didn’t care.

The family had images playing around the room of the wolf’s childhood. Each picture sparking a memory in his mind. The way the ice cream had tasted like bubblegum. How she had skinned her knee on that rock a few moments after they took the picture of Lara in her white dress by the river. Could remember hours spent on her hair and makeup for prom and how she had hated half the pictures her parents had taken.

It was the final memory that had him stumbling in the pew. The creature. It had a personal name, but it was nothing Marcus could understand. The memory overpowered his mind. Anger at the pull in its chest. Not having a choice but to answer the call. Waking in a circle. The thing hadn’t been able to see. The new dimension messing with its senses. Marcus watched first-hand how it had come here. Summoned. Someone had called it here.

They had let it into Breckon Heights.

The End...

For now.