Never Again – 45

 

"Don't move."

Joseph froze before he could start to unbutton his shirt, his gaze locked on Cal's wicked grin. "I suppose you want to save me the trouble and do this yourself."

"Absolutely." Cal stepped close enough to flick open the top button. Then he kissed Joseph, stepping back before he could return it. "Four more buttons—"

"Four more kisses." Joseph was quite familiar with the game. This time he intended to change the rules. With one swift movement he tore open his shirt, buttons flying everywhere.

"No fucking fair," Cal growled. He didn't have time to say more when Joseph moved with lightning speed to tear his off as well. "That was my best shirt!" Cal protested, although he didn't really seem too upset since he was already reaching for the waistband of Joseph's slacks.

Joseph waggled a finger at him, trying hard not to laugh at the immediate look of frustration on Cal's face. "Slow down. We have all night."

"Says the man who just ripped off my shirt."

"Getting the preliminaries out of the way." He put his hands on Cal's shoulders then slid them slowly down his arms to his wrists. Gripping them, he lifted Cal's hands, kissing each palm then, not taking his eyes off Cal's face, he sensuously sucked each finger.

"Holy hell," Cal whispered. He was instantly hard, his erection straining to be free.

"One more button to go." Joseph flicked open the one on Cal's slacks and tooth by tooth slowly pulled down the zipper until his swollen cock was revealed. Dropping to his knees, Joseph took the head between his lips, lapping the leaking slit while pushing the slacks down over Cal's hips until they slid to the floor.

When Joseph took more of him into his mouth, swirling his tongue over each inch as he did, Cal groaned low in his throat, grabbing Joseph's shoulders. Soon his cock was fully engulfed as Joseph sucked it deep into his throat. "You're killing me here," he managed to get out, his voice hoarse and showing his need for more.

Instead he got less as Joseph released him, laving his tongue over his balls then sucking them into his mouth, rolling them gently until Cal's grip on his shoulders became almost painful. Settling back on his heels, he looked up at Cal. "Now would I kill such a wonderful man?"

"Well, no, but you're for damned sure torturing me," Cal growled.

"And I intend to continue. On the bed now, if you please."

Cal started to comply then apparently realized his pants were around his ankles and wouldn't be coming off until his shoes did. Impatiently he tried to toe them off. Joseph laughed, lifted each foot, pulled them off, and Cal kicked himself free of the slacks. Seconds later he was lying on his back on the bed. Before he could recover, Joseph was sprawled over him. His mouth took Cal's in a heated kiss.

When the kiss ended, Joseph began to work his way down with small nips and soft kisses until he reached Cal's dark, taut nipples. He sucked each one, teasing them with the tip of his tongue until Cal was writhing beneath him, moaning "Please, Joe, please…"

Joseph glanced up with a grin. "Did you want something, lover mine?"

"You. All of you."

"In time, in time." Joseph continued his trip down Cal's body, tormenting him again with nips and licks until he reached his cock. Once again he took it into his mouth, but this time he wrapped his fingers tightly around the base to keep Cal from coming, which he was well aware could happen at any moment. Cal's moans intensified when Joseph sucked, teased, and swallowed, until at last he relented. The moment he unwound his fingers Cal's balls tightened, his cock pulsed, and he filled Joseph's throat with his cum and the room with the echoes of his shout of release.

"Now," Cal said when he could finally speak again, "it's your turn."

"And if I don't want it," Joseph replied, his eyes alight with laughter and need. "What then?"

"Rich boy, you have no choice in the matter." Cal rolled away just long enough to take hold of Joseph's arms, flipping him onto his back. "See," he said as he straddled him. Before Joseph could answer, Cal was kissing him. He returned the kiss as good as he got, savoring the taste and feel of his lover's mouth.

Cal's hand wrapped around his hard member and when he drew his hand down, the foreskin slid with it. Joseph almost came on the spot. Cal tightened his grip, momentarily running the pad of his thumb over Joseph's slit and along the underside of his swollen head now that it was revealed. Then he began to move his hand, the foreskin sliding up and down as he did. When he sped up the motion, Joseph's whole body trembled—need and pleasure fighting for dominance.

"I… I…" Joseph groaned, his hips arching up.

"I think that's supposed to be 'Aye, aye, captain'," Cal said, his grin lighting up his face.

"I'm going to—" Joseph gasped out.

"Come? Kill me? Fuck me?" Cal teased.

"All of the above," Joseph growled. "But we'll start with fucking you."

"Now that I can live with."

When Cal started to move away, Joseph shook his head. "I want you to ride my cock while I watch."

Cal paused then smiled, leaning over to kiss him. "I like that idea," he whispered against Joseph's lips before kissing him again while opening the nightstand drawer. Blindly, his fingers scrabbled around in search of the lube, eventually finding it. Only then did he break the kiss. Sitting back on his heels he tried to hand Joseph the tube.

"No, I want to watch you prepare yourself."

"I—you're sure?" When Joseph nodded, Cal spread the thick gel on two fingers, then leaning back on his other hand so Joseph could see, he carefully pushed one finger through the tight ring of muscle.

Joseph groaned softly. The ecstatic look on Cal's face when his finger touched his gland and he began to stroke it was one of the most sensual things he thought he'd ever seen.

Too soon, or not soon enough—Joseph wasn't quite certain which as he continued to savor the emotions crossing Cal's face—his lover deemed himself ready. Cal squeezed more lube onto his fingers and slowly covered Joseph's thick shaft with it. Grinning wickedly, he positioned himself then paused, tapping his lips as if reconsidering what he was about to do.

"Damn it, Cal," Joseph groaned, gripping his lover's hips.

"Turn about, Joe. Turn about," Cal said teasingly, even as he thrust down, taking the pulsing head of Joseph's cock into him.

When a flash of pain crossed Cal's face, Joseph tightened his hold on his hips. "Slowly, slowly," he cautioned.

Cal nodded, taking his words to heart. Soon enough, however, he was impaled on Joseph's shaft and he began to ride it.

Joseph watched Cal—watched the play of emotions on his face, the erotic view when his cock vanished into Cal's tight channel again and again. He captured Cal's hard member in one hand, stroking it in rhythm with Cal's movements. Ecstasy and love flooded his senses in equal measure.

I do love him. The thought filled his mind as he thrust up into Cal's hot body. Then his orgasm sent him flying to new heights, even as the thought became words and "I love you" flew from his lips.

"And I love you." Cal barely got it out before he came too, his seed covering Joseph's chest in pearly streams.

"So much," Cal whispered what seemed hours later when they had both recovered and lay in each other's arms.

Joseph arched an eyebrow. "So much what?"

Cal chuckled. "Sorry, was just finishing my sentence. I love you so much."

"Ahh." Joseph kissed his temple.

"Just 'ahh'?"

"Well, I didn't want to be redundant and reply with 'I love you too'. After all, I have said it once already."

Cal rolled on his side, resting on one elbow to look down at Joseph. "So once is all I get?"

Joseph grinned. "Today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?"

"A lot of happiness, perhaps a bit of sorrow, but we can handle that together."

"Indeed we can," Joseph said with conviction. "Together we can take on whatever the world throws at us." Suddenly he laughed. "And how cliché was that?"

"Very, but that doesn't make it any less the truth. And we will, rich boy. We will."

The End

Never Again – 44

 

They continued on, passing Jackson Square, commenting on a few of the paintings various artists had resting against the wrought-iron fence. They were just about to cross Decatur to get to the river when Joseph heard someone call his name and saw Beth waving at him from in front of Café Du Monde.

He waved back, telling Cal, "Now you get to meet the rest of my family."

"I sort of know him," Cal said, pointing to Brian, who was standing right behind Beth.

"Right. He told me." Seeing a break in traffic, Joseph and Cal crossed the street.

After hugging Joseph tightly, Beth turned her attention to Cal. "I'm Beth, Joe's niece."

"Cal, Joe's, umm, boss."

Beth snorted. "Right. Do bosses always hold hands with their employees?"

"I hold your hand," Brian pointed out.

Leaning in, Beth whispered to Cal, "I let him think he's my boss, so I guess he's right."

"Beth," Brian growled.

"Oh hell, he heard me." Beth laughed, putting her arm around Brian's waist. "So, Uncle Joe, what brings the two of you down here?"

"We went out to dinner to celebrate catching some people who were vandalizing one of the Rebuild sites."

"I heard about that," Brian said. "Glad you got them."

"Thanks. And why are you two here?"

Beth waved her hand at the café. "I was in the mood for some beignets?"

Brian chuckled. "You might as well tell him. He's going to find out soon enough anyway."

"Okay, okay. I really did want some. Believe it or not they help calm my stomach."

It took Joseph a second to catch on. Then he grinned ear to ear, picking her up and twirling her around. "Congratulations!"

When Cal looked puzzled Brian told him, "She's pregnant." His smile was almost as broad as Joseph's.

"Wow. Great. Congrats. When is it due and…" He stopped, looking at Beth then Joseph.

Beth must have caught the questioning look on Cal's face because she said softly to Joseph, "You told him."

"About me? Yes. So he might presume you're a shifter too, or at least have the gene."

She nodded, turning her attention back to Cal, linking her arm with his as she said, "Why don't we go down by the river where it's quieter."

"And where no one can hear us too, I presume."

"Exactly."

The two of them led the way with Joseph and Brian right behind. When they got to the sidewalk beside the river, Beth made a bee-line to one of the benches and sat down, patting the place beside her to let Cal know he should join her.

After he was seated, with the other two standing almost on guard in front of them, she explained she was a full shifter too, just like Joseph.

"So your baby will be one?"

"I doubt it, since Brian's purebred human."

Brian laughed. "That makes me sound like a dog."

She snorted. "Not hardly, my dear. Anyway, Cal, our kid will carry the gene but unless he or she finds someone else who has it too, they will be the end of our line."

"That's sad."

Joseph nodded. "It is, but it's the way our lives are, and why there are so few of us around now."

"So your mother and father both had the gene. Was she a full shifter?"

"No, but she married one, which is why I am." Beth sighed. "Before you ask, he's dead. Shot by some hunters one night when he was out for a run."

"I'm sorry," Cal said, shooting a stern look at Joseph. "See, what did I tell you?"

"I know, I know. And you were right."

Beth cocked an eyebrow. "Right about? Fill me in, Uncle Joe. I hate loose ends."

"He told me I was being stupid, not allowing myself to love a human because they'd die before me. He pointed out, and rightly so, that there was always a chance I'd be killed long before he died."

"Not a happy thought, but a true one," Beth said. "If I'd followed that 'rule' then I'd never have married Brian."

"And no little Brian or Beth would be coming into this world to make their mark on it. Hopefully a positive one," Brian added, smiling at his wife.

"Exactly!" She stretched and reached for his hand, allowing him to pull her up. When Joseph rolled his eyes, she said, grinning, "He has to start sometime. It won't be long before I won't be able to do it on my own."

Cal looked at her body, one eyebrow raised. "You're not even showing so it should be quite a while, unless—"

She laughed. "It will be. If I were a true wolf, this kid would come in about two months, but since I'm a shifter and thus as much human as wolf, it will take almost the full nine months. Maybe a bit less but not enough to make people wonder, thank goodness."

"Yeah, it might be hard to explain why our child was perfect when it appeared way before a regular human baby would." Brian kissed her temple then said, "Shall we leave these guys to whatever they were doing and go get your beignets?"

"You bet. And a dozen more to take home with us."

"Women," Brian grumbled, but it was obvious he was just teasing from the loving look on his face when he put his arm around her and they walked back toward the café.

"So you're going to be, hmm what? A great-uncle?" Cal said when he got up.

Joseph smiled happily. "I think that's what it's called. Fantastic, isn't it?"

"Definitely fantastic." Cal wrapped his arm around Joseph's waist. "Now we'll have a kid around to spoil rotten."

Joseph looked at him in surprise. "You sound like you like the idea."

Cal shrugged. "Well for damned sure we're not going to have kids and I don't have any brothers or sisters, so yeah, I do."

"I think you'd be good with kids."

"If I didn't lose my temper when they annoyed me, yeah, I probably would I guess."

"Cal," Joseph said softly as they began walking, "do you realize that in the last month or so you've rarely done that unless there was a real reason to?"

Cal nodded slowly. "You're right, I haven't." He smiled at Joseph. "I guess I have you to blame. You make me happy, keep me calm."

"Maybe it's me. Maybe it's just that you needed someone who cared."

"And I found him, didn't I?" He smiled. "You."

"Yes, you did. And I found you, thank God." Not giving a damn if anyone was around to see them, Joseph cupped Cal's face with his hands and kissed him deeply.

"Damn," Cal whispered when they finally broke apart. He looked a Joseph and a smile played over his lips. "I think we should head home before I take you right here, right now, and the hell with whoever might be watching."

Never Again – 43

 

"Joe," Cal said, suddenly looking very wary as they parked in one of the downtown lots near the Quarter.

"Umm?"

"You do know what we're doing, right?"

"Going out to dinner then maybe to a club. Why?" Then he understood. "If you don't want us to be so public, now's the time to say so."

"I want to. I really do. I just wanted to be certain you did and you got what it's going to mean."

Joseph laughed, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. "It means if anyone we know sees us, they're going to know we're more than just casual friends who work together. And…" he grinned, "since I'm your employee, you could be sued for sexual harassment."

"As if!" Cal grinned back at him. "I think you were the 'harasser', not that I protested too much. Well, now that that's cleared up, which restaurant? You never said." He glanced down at what he was wearing. "Please, nowhere fancy."

"This is the Quarter, Cal. We could go into most places in jeans if we wanted to. The tourists do it all the time. Besides which, you look just fine." He smiled when Cal still looked skeptical. "Tell you what, I was thinking of Muriel's but maybe we should try Pat O'Brien's instead. We can eat in the Courtyard and pretend it's our first time in the city."

"Deal," Cal said, laughing. "And I happen to like O'Brien's." He opened the door, looking at Joseph when he didn't move. "Well come on, rich boy, show me the town."

* * * *

"I am stuffed to the gills," Joseph said a good deal later, leaning back to rub his stomach.

"Since when do wolves have gills?' Cal joked, instantly glancing around afterward to see if anyone had heard him, looking contrite for saying that out loud.

Joseph smiled, telling him quietly, "It's okay. If anyone did hear, they'd think you meant the kind who preys on handsome men like you, not the real thing."

"Let's hope."

"Cal," Joseph said after leaning in so only he could hear, "no one knows shifters exist, so how else would someone take it?"

Smiling ruefully, Cal nodded in agreement. "Okay, what's next on the agenda?"

"We go work off all this good food at one of the clubs?"

"I'm not much of a dancer, Joe."

"Hmm, that could present a problem then, since the last time I danced, the waltz was all the rage."

"Seriously?"

"Very seriously, I'm afraid."

"Okay then." Cal finished the last of his beer, set the glass down then said, "How about we take a walk instead? Maybe down by the river."

"A romantic moonlight stroll. I like the idea."

After paying for their dinner, the two men set out. Bourbon Street was, as always at that time of night, crowded with tourists. After getting bumped once too often by intoxicated females who then smiled lasciviously at them, they veered onto the next street leading toward the river.

As they walked down Orleans, Cal tentatively took Joseph's hand. When Joseph didn't pull it away, he smiled with obvious relief.

"Come on now," Joseph said, chuckling softly, "did you really think I wouldn't want to hold hands with you?"

"Well, we are in public," Cal pointed out, even as he tightened his grip.

"So are they, and them, and them." Joseph nodded toward several other male couples walking ahead of them, one with their arms entwined around each other. "In this city, in this part of the city at least, you know no one really objects, except perhaps the occasional uptight tourist."

Never Again – 42

 

Cal followed Joseph up to the bedroom to wait while he showered and got dressed. When Joseph came out of the bathroom, having left his dirty clothes in the hamper next to the sink, he had a towel wrapped around his waist while he finished drying his hair with another one.

"Joe," Cal said, his voice filled with shock. "It's gone."

"What?"

"The cut, the wound, whatever you want to call it. It's healed. That's not possible."

Joseph smiled slightly. "Yes it is. Just like what happened last night was possible, so is this."

And now we've finally acknowledged the elephant in the room.

He sat down on the bed next to Cal. "It's one of the perks, so to speak, of shifting. Each time I do, my body regenerates and any damage is healed."

"Oh," Cal replied quietly. "That would be damned useful in Iraq—which was a real non sequitur but—"

"It was sort of, but I know what you mean." Taking a deep breath, Joseph continued. "The regenerating has another effect as well. Remember my telling you Rawleigh died in the war?"

"Iraq, yes."

"No. The War Between the States."

"Holy hell," Cal whispered, moving away from him. "Just… damn, Joe." He studied his face for a long moment. "You're telling me you're… almost a hundred and fifty?"

"A little older than that actually, but not by much."

"I… see." Cal drummed his fingers on his thigh, still studying Joseph. "So each time you shift it not only heals you, it keeps you young."

"Oh, I do age, just very, very slowly. And yes, it's because of the shifting." He smiled a bit remembering, then told Cal what he'd been thinking. "My sister got very pissed at me when I refused to shift one time. I didn't want Rawleigh to realize I wasn't aging. I thought by not shifting, well, you know."

"Sister?"

"Elizabeth. She wasn't a shifter herself but she carried the gene, which is why…well, never mind. At the moment it's not germane to what I'm telling you. When I refused to shift, Elizabeth laid into me. It seems I also got very cranky, to put it mildly. Since shifting is part of my nature, not shifting is not good."

Cal chuckled. "So when you start getting really pissed at me, I should tell you to head for the bayou and do your thing."

"If you don't want me biting off heads," Joseph agreed with a laugh.

"I'll remember that," Cal said, sobering. "This means when I'm older, you're still going to look the way you do now."

Joseph nodded. "Pretty much, yes. As I said, I do age, so when you're say, fifty, I might look a bit closer to thirty-five."

"That could set some tongues wagging."

"Probably will, if we stay here."

Cal frowned, obviously thinking about what he'd said. "True," he replied, "we could move somewhere else where they don't know us." Suddenly his eyes lit up as he stared at Joseph. "Do you realize what we're talking about? What we're saying?"

"Umm hmm. We're talking about us and a future together. And I'm getting the impression you like the idea. Am I right?"

"You are. Do you?"

"Very much so."

"You know it's still early on," Cal said. "We've only known each other for a little while. For you, it would be a very little while in the grand scheme of your life."

"True. On the other hand, we've been through a lot together and are still, well, together. I think that says something about our feelings." He chuckled softly. "Although this afternoon I was beginning to wonder if you were having second thoughts."

"To be honest, I was. It was the first time I really had a chance to think about last night and… and what you did. I began to be frightened, Joe. I mean, first off, I've never really cared about someone the way I do you, which in itself is scary for me on an emotional level. Then to have the whole shifting thing added in on top of it, I began to wonder if I had what it takes to handle it all."

"I guess you decided you could?"

Cal nodded. "I weighed the pros and cons, and the pros came out well on top."

"Thank goodness." Joseph stretched out his hand and when Cal took it, he tugged him closer. Close enough to kiss him. "I don't know what I would have done if you decided to walk away," he whispered against his lips.

Cal pulled back a bit to look at him. "Well, it's not going to happen. I'm not sure that I can say this is love just yet, but I think it's damned close to it."

Wrapping his arms around Cal, Joseph sighed happily. "I lost one man I loved and vowed never to let it happen again. But it has, and I'm not complaining in the least."

"Why? I mean, why did you tell yourself you wouldn't let it happen again?"

"Honest truth? Because loving someone, especially someone human, means eventually I'll lose them and have to go on without them."

"Joe, that can happen anyway and you know it. Even if you were human yourself, it could happen."

"But I know anyone I love is going to die before me," Joseph countered.

"Bull. Unless you're immortal, there's always the chance you could be killed. Right?"

"Well, yes."

"Then I'd be left without you, but I'm not about to throw everything away just because that might happen."

"All right, all right." Joseph laughed. "I'm getting the point. I'm stuck with you, which means I should get dressed so we can celebrate."

"Celebrate your being stuck with me?" Cal looked amused.

"No, you nut," Joseph replied, getting to his feet. "Well, yes, that too, but also the celebration we planned on having now that the problems at the site are over." He kissed Cal again. "So don't move. I'll be dressed in two seconds flat."

"Five minutes."

"Three."

Cal laughed. "Four. Five, if you don't start right now."

Never Again – 41

 

When Cal and Joseph returned to the site, some of the workers had already arrived. Joseph suspected they were there early to see if any more vandalism had occurred. When Cal told them what had happened a couple of hours previously, there was a sense of both shock and relief. Shock at finding out Steve had been involved in the sabotage, relief that everything would now get back to normal. The first thing Cal had them do was put the gasoline-soaked lumber in one of the dumpsters since it was unusable now.

As the day progressed, Joseph began to get the feeling Cal was intentionally doing his best not to interact with him except when absolutely necessary. At first he thought it was just because Cal had spent half of the morning going to the sites of the few houses which were still being worked on. With Steve in jail, it was left up to Cal to do at least minimal supervision on them until he made a decision about who would be his new second in command.

By mid-afternoon Joseph was very certain Cal was avoiding him. He's having second thoughts, now that he knows what I am. Not that I can blame him in the least. Last night necessity overrode emotions. But now… He shook his head sorrowfully as he continued with what he was doing.

Only when it was time to leave did Cal come over to talk to Joseph. Then it was to say, "Since we came in my truck, I'll give you a lift home."

"I can find someone else," Joseph replied, trying not to sound snarky—and barely succeeding.

"Why?" Cal asked in surprise.

"Well I thought… I mean you were… never mind." He smiled then to cover his relief. "We did promise we were going to celebrate."

"In style is the way you put it," Cal agreed. "That means I have to change into something halfway decent."

* * * *

Ten minutes later they were parked in the lot behind an older apartment building not very far west of City Park. It was the first time Joseph had been there, since up until today Cal had seemed very reticent that they meet anywhere except at Joseph's house. When Joseph would ask, Cal just replied, "My apartment's nothing special and small, really small," or words to that effect.

Now, as they got out of the truck Cal said with a self-deprecating grin, "It's not exactly palatial as you'll see, but it's home."

"It's actually rather nice," Joseph told him a couple of minutes later when they walked into the small apartment.

It was obvious Cal had added his own touches to what was essentially a very utilitarian living/kitchen area. Three walls were off-white. The fourth was a deep maroon with photos of finished Rebuild houses hanging on it above a low chest of drawers. The furniture was old—Joseph suspected most of it came from thrift shops—and there wasn't much of it. A dark brown upholstered sofa stood against one wall, a beige lounger catty-corner to it, both of them facing a small table that held an older TV set. Off to one side, next to the open kitchen, was a door that led to Cal's bedroom.

"I'll be out in a few," Cal said, going into the bedroom.

With nothing to do but wait, since Cal had closed the door after him, Joseph went over to take a closer look at the photos. He recognized a couple of houses as ones he'd worked on and smiled. Then he crossed to the small nook in the side wall to look out the only window at the street.

It was a nice area, he decided, watching people walking on the sidewalk across the street. Families mainly, I suspect. He chuckled as a small boy dashed ahead of his parents toward a small park at the end of the street.

"What's so funny?"

He turned to see Cal standing in the bedroom doorway, wearing black pants and a pale blue, button-down shirt that accented his black hair and dark blue eyes. "Nothing really," he replied with a smile. "You clean up good, as they say."

Cal shrugged. "Not like I have much to choose from. These are my only decent slacks."

"Still, you look nice. Very handsome." He smiled again when Cal ducked his head in embarrassment. "Well, you are. Are you ready?"

"Yep. Let's head to your place, rich boy."

Joseph rolled his eyes, saying, "I'm never going to lose that nickname, am I?" Cal laughed and shook his head.

 

Never Again – 40

 

Steve sat up slowly, not taking his eyes off Joseph. "What could you have done, Cal? You don't have any money. Embezzle it from Rebuild? Somehow I don't see you doing that."

This might explain why he was so dead set on my making friends with Cal, Joseph decided. To maybe keep him too busy to be aware of what was being set up.

Cal ran a hand over his face. "So to save yourself, you were willing to destroy what we're doing here. Who hired you, Steve? Who's the bastard who forced you into this?"

"Mr. Folkes. He saw the value in this place but, according to him, you got enough money together to buy it before he could make an offer. He wanted to turn it into a fancy tourist motel."

Cal frowned. "But he helped me pull everything together, especially with some of the licenses."

"So he would have access when the time came," Steve told him. He started to stand, remaining where he was when Joseph growled angrily and took two steps toward him. "Where the hell did you get that beast, Cal?" he asked fearfully, eyeing the shifter.

"A friend loaned him to me," Cal replied without blinking an eye. "He's a well-trained wolf-hybrid."

Wolf-hybrid? Joseph would have chuckled if it was possible. Well I suppose technically that's what I am. Well-trained, however, is another story.

"So now what happens," Steve asked, his head bowed in submission.

"I call the police and you tell them everything."

"About Mr. Folkes?"

"Especially about him, the son-of-a-bitch." Cal had his phone in his hand by then, making the call while still keeping his pistol trained on Steve.

"I'll report that beast to Animal Control," Steve blustered.

Cal smiled. "First they'd have to find him, which might be a problem." He turned his attention to his call when it was answered; explaining he'd caught two men trying to vandalize the site. After he hung up, he let Steve and his companion know the cops were on their way. "Move over next to him," Cal ordered the other man, pointing to Steve. With obvious reluctance the man did, crouching down beside him, cradling his injured, blood-soaked arm with the other one.

Cal glanced at Joseph, giving a small nod of his head in the direction of the front of the building. Moments later Joseph was out of view, crouching in the deep shadows of the building for the moment to keep watch in case of further trouble.

Within minutes, a squad car and an ambulance pulled up in front of the site. By then, Cal had herded his two prisoners to the gate. While the EMTs examined to man Joseph had bitten, Cal talked with the police officers. Steve and the other man were read their rights then Steve was ushered into the squad car while his accomplice was placed in the ambulance.

Only after everyone but Cal was gone did Joseph appear in his human form. He'd obviously found where Cal had left his clothes because he was dressed.

"You did it," Cal said, wrapping his arm around Joseph's waist.

"We did it. It took both of us working together, and a bit of luck, but now that problem is solved."

"Let's go home and celebrate?"

Joseph laughed, pointing to the false dawn lighting the sky. "We go home and we'll just have to turn right around and come back again. But tonight? Yes, tonight we celebrate in style." He cupped his hand under Cal's jaw, kissing him quite soundly. "For now, let's go find some breakfast. I'm starving."

Never Again – 39

 

When Cal eased the gate to the site open, Joseph slipped thorough with Cal right behind him. Seconds later Joseph stripped and shifted. Cal picked up his clothes, then, as they had planned, he moved silently through the semi-darkness to one of the supply sheds, hunkering down in the deep shadows behind it to wait, his pistol tucked in the waistband of his jeans.

Joseph knew Cal had wanted to accompany him, but as he'd pointed out, sneaking up on the vandals would be much harder for him with Cal in tow. "The idea is to surprise them in the act, not run them off without having any proof that's why they're at the site. If one of them is someone who works for us, they could just claim they were doing what we are, trying to stop any more vandalism."

With Cal safely out of sight, Joseph opened all his shifter senses as he crept inch by inch toward the apartment building. He heard the usual sounds of the city. Cars moving on the streets even though it was well after midnight. People talking, walking, as they left a bar two blocks away, some sounding happy, others not. The smells were varied, earth, wood, paint, the scents of the chemicals used on the site, the remnants of mold and mildew still clinging to the building.

I'll have to remember to tell the men where there's still some mold, the shifter thought before he got back to the business at hand.

His black fur melded into the darkness surrounding the building and into the shadows when he stealthily crept up the stairs to the third balcony. From there he could survey the area in front of the building, his sharp eyes looking for signs of movement from anything larger than the rats that came out after the site was closed up for the night.

Nothing moved, and he smelled nothing human on that side. In the next instant he had teleported to the roof. It was something he rarely did, seeing no necessity to in the normal course of things. In this case however, it quickly got him up where he would have a total view of his surroundings.

He paced the rear side of the roof, searching for intruders. Seeing none at the moment, he settled on his haunches, ready to wait until dawn if necessary. Every instinct told him it wouldn't be if the man, or men, planned to escalate their sabotage. They'd be fools not to strike while the iron was hot, before Cal has a chance to hire armed guards to patrol the place.

It was a good two hours later, close to four am, when he finally heard what he'd been waiting for, the sound of furtive footsteps on the gravel beside the short side of the L-shaped building.

Creeping forward, he looked over the edge. Three stories below him, two foreshortened dark shapes were huddled together talking in whispers, one pointing to the back corner of the building. He heard him say, "The pile of lumber's in back".

So at least one of them was not part of our crew if he didn't know that. He tried to determine who the speaker was, but the man was whispering. So he sniffed, hoping to pick up his scent. Instead the odor of gasoline met his nostrils.

Even as he realized what they probably had in mind, the men were on the move. He raced to the back side of the roof, certain what he would see. The gasoline odor intensified moments later and he watched as they emptied the contents of the large can over lumber piled within a foot or so of the back wall.

As one of the men took something from his pocket, Joseph left the roof, landing beside him before the man could flick the lighter he held to start the lumber on fire. Strong jaws clamped on the man's arm, fangs piercing skin down to the bone. The man screamed in pain and terror.

His companion stared in disbelief, then, stupidly in Joseph's opinion, bent to retrieve the fallen lighter. He didn't have a chance to complete the action. Joseph was on him swiftly, knocking him to the ground. Massive paws on his shoulders held him there, fangs flashing when he lowered his head toward the man's throat.

"No!" Cal shouted when he rounded the corner. "Don't kill him!"

For an instant Joseph was tempted to ignore the order, aware of who the man was. Then he lifted his head, still holding the man supine on the ground.

As Cal came closer, he swore softly but vehemently. "Steve? What the hell! Why?" He pointed the pistol at him then moved it quickly to cover the second man who was attempting to crawl away, despite the damage to his arm. "Another inch and you lose your balls," he growled. The man froze where he was.

Once again Cal asked, "Why, Steve? I thought you believed in what we were doing."

"Get this animal off me and I'll tell you."

Joseph growled low in his throat, casting a quick glance at Cal. Cal shook his head. "He stays until you talk," he told Steve, moving to stand over him while keeping a weather eye on the second man.

"Money, Cal. Money. I have debts, gambling debts, and they need paying off. So when I was approached to help shut down the work here, well, I didn't have much choice in the matter."

"Oh, Steve. Damn it." Cal sighed sadly. "Why didn't you come to me? We could have figured something out."

Joseph moved back then, standing with his hackles raised, his tail erect, his legs stiff, and a snarl on his lips which revealed his sharp fangs as he focused all his attention on Steve.

Never Again – 38

 

"For God's sake will you just tell me? Whatever it is, it can't be as bad as you think. Not if Rawleigh accepted it." Cal frowned. "He did, didn't he?"

"Yes." Joseph smiled softly, remembering. "Yes, he did."

"Well damn it, if he could and he was just a kid, then so can I."

"About that," Joseph said, looking for any way to postpone the moment, "he wasn't exactly a kid."

"Oh. I thought, from the way you talked about him. So he was an older man? Older than you?"

"No, we were very close to the same age, just two years apart." He smiled slightly. "I was the older one."

"But he…he did die? I mean he's not going to show up someday and, well—"

"Yes. He died in the war."

"Hang on a second. Which war? Iraq? He was in the army?"

"No. He was a reporter and… damn it." Joseph's mouth tightened in anxiety. "All right, this is where my story gets strange, or it will seem like it is to you."

"How strange?" Cal looked up at him fearfully.

"I'll preface this in the same way I did with him, if you don't mind." Joseph began to pace again, never taking his eyes off Cal. "In this world there are many beings. Most are like you, human. A few, a very few—aren't. I'm one of them."

"Right. Sure. Look, Joe, whatever's going on with you, and it has to be bad, please don't take me for a fool and try to turn it into some sort of…of damned fairytale," Cal growled, anger now filling his face.

Joseph winced but didn't back away. "Myth, Cal, not a fairytale. Most people think, hope, we are just a myth and we let them. It would be more than our lives are worth to reveal ourselves."

"Yet according to you, that's what you're doing with me. What the hell do you think you are? What sort of delusion are you living under?"

As he replied, Joseph began to undress, staring at Cal as he did, willing him to understand. "I'm what's called a shifter. A human who can take another form. In my case, I become a wolf."

Cal snorted in disbelief. "Werewolves are things out of bad movies and TV shows, Joe. They don't exist in the real world." Then his eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, backing away, hands held out in front of him as if to ward off what he was seeing.

The wolf stood silently, its black tail partially erect, its head held high with its ears forward. It stared at Cal then, suddenly, it sat on its haunches, its tail slowly wagging.

"Okay," Cal said angrily, "what in damnation is going on here? What did you do, Joe, hypnotize me somehow or something? Enough with the fucking games."

Almost instantly Joseph stood in front of him again. "It's no game, Cal. The wolf is part of what I am."

"Like hell it is! That's not possible. What I just saw, it's not possible."

Joseph shifted again. And then back. "It is possible. Why can't you believe what you saw with your own two eyes?"

"Because… because…" Cal dropped down on the boulder again, burying his face in his hands as he whispered, "Because if I believe, then it means—"

"Means what, Cal?" Joseph asked quietly, kneeling in front of him. "Do you think I'm a different man now? I'm not."

Lifting his head, Cal stared at him. "I suppose that's true enough," he replied after a long moment. He chuckled suddenly, much to Joseph's surprise. "And here I thought keeping our relationship a secret was hard. Poor you, you have to deal with that and this."

Joseph smiled, patting his leg. "Now we both do."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Putting his hand over Joseph's, he smiled back. "I guess it means I'm important to you, since you trusted me enough to show me."

"Very important, in case this is the first time you realized it."

Cal nodded. "No, I knew that." Taking a deep breath he asked, "Would you telling me also have something to do with whatever your plan is?"

"Honestly, it made it more imperative to tell you now rather than wait until… until I thought it wouldn't send you running out of my life."

"You were willing to risk that in order to save what we're doing? To save Rebuild?"

Joseph nodded. "It was a calculated risk but I guess, deep in my heart, I knew you could handle it."

Cal snorted. "Like hell you did."

"Okay, yeah, you're right. I was scared stiff actually, but it had to be done."

"Speaking of stiff," Cal said with a grin, raking his glance over Joseph's naked body, "if you don't get dressed right now—"

"Good idea, at the moment." Joseph got to his feet and put on his jeans. "Better?"

"Marginally, but yeah. So what's this plan of yours?"