Calling upon the Spirit
By: Silver Rayne

Part 3

"We finally got him!" One of the townsmen clubbed Ryu’s unconscious form over the head with his gun. "He isn’t so tough now." He frowned slightly, very disturbed by the man’s lack of clothing. "Freak doesn’t even know how to act human."

"Hurry and tie him in case he awakens." Another man came forward to bind Ryu’s arms and legs.

A third tied a towel to Ryu’s waist to cover the essentials. "Damn kids are going to be tainted for life after seeing this."

The strongest of the men slung Ryu over his back in a fireman’s hold and joined his friends in their march from the forest. They were unaware of a stealthy outsider following that path. All that mattered was getting this monster to where he could no longer harm them. To destroy Ryu and his entire accursed legacy of evilness. Something so vile and inhuman could not be allowed to live.

*I’m going to kill every one of them,* Ken snarled at the back of his mind. He stumbled, fell to his knees but forced himself back up again. The limping had gotten worse with his quickened pace, not that he was complaining. What he felt…the minor pain was nothing compared to how Ryu must feel. Trapped. Alone. Frightened. *What are they going to do to him?*

Once again, this day had nearly reached the end of its cycle. Soon, heavy patches of black and purple-gray would fill the sky, dooming the sun and welcoming the moon. A full moon. Ryu had to mate before the end of the month…that being tomorrow. How could he complete his journey in time? And with the town’s wrath beating down on him, Ryu didn’t stand a chance. A few more hours and the afternoon would come to an end, dragging in the night close behind.

Half an hour later and some of the men were still heading towards the outskirts of town. The women and children within their group had already headed home in the opposite direction. These heartless bastards were taking their prisoner to a place where he would not be rescued from. An old abandoned windmill near a dried up river bed. Far from civilization or any relative interest from the outside community. Nobody would care to search the construct for a man about to be tortured to death.

Ken watched as three men dragged Ryu inside, remaining in there for what seemed like hours. He took his time in catching up, slumping to the ground and breathing heavily. His leg ached, a dull throbbing that traveled up his thigh, nearly touching the base of his skull. It hardly deterred him from limping over to peer into a window facing what was left of the river. He could barely make out the silhouettes of his enemies as they chained Ryu up to the staircase. Satisfied that not even a wolf-man could break those bonds, they departed for town. Even from far away, Ken could hear their celebrating and cheerful voices. They would return later to destroy Ryu as a wolf, not wanting to do it in his current humanoid form. He hated them for the cowards that they were. To kill a helpless creature unable to defend himself, not willing to face the man or person that Ryu truly was.

Being very careful and quiet, Ken moved to the front of the windmill and crept inside. The darkness delayed him until his eyesight could readjust to see where he was going. It smelled dank and musty all around him. Rotting wood and upturned nails greeted him with each step he took.

"Ryu…are you…?" Before he could complete his question, a nail caught the toe of his shoe and sent him sprawling. Something soft cushioned his fall, bracing him as he regained his balance. Fingers roamed free of his body, determining if he had been hurt, satisfied when they located no injuries.

"Ken. You should not have come." Ryu groaned, pulling on his chains only to hear them jingle noisily. He held Ken tightly against him, pressing a wet kiss to his friend’s mouth. The taste nearly caused him to become lost in time, unaware of his surroundings. But he broke it off abruptly, not wanting to forget where he was and why.

"You’re so bad at lying. For once, it’s you who needs my help." Ken wanted nothing more than to curl up in Ryu’s lap and take a nice long rest from his ordeal. It was a luxury not welcome within the confines of their predicament. "How do I get these chains off?"

"With a key."

"But…"

"I’m half wolf, not a super being. I can’t snap them off." An abrupt growl left Ryu’s throat as he watched the sun begin to dull from the window. "As a wolf, I would have the strength. As a man…there is not enough power available to me." He shook his head angrily, yanking at the chains, pulling Ken back onto his lap before he could get tossed onto the ground. "I can’t do it."

"Ryu, they’ll be back once you’ve changed and then it will be too late!" Ken leaned above Ryu, blinding feeling his way across the wall until he located two nails. They held fast to the wall, keeping the shackled chains tightly grounded there. "Maybe I can pull out these nails."

"With what?"

The young man grabbed onto a nail with two fingers from each hand and wrenched hard. "It shouldn’t be too hard." Soon, his fingers were callused and bleeding from the effort and the nail had not moved a centimeter. "Shit!" He pounded the wall hard with his fist, announcing the frustration building inside of him. Hesitating only a second, he pulled out the hunting knife he had been carrying and drove it at the nail. The blade snapped in two, nearly cutting him as it sailed across the room.

Ryu held Ken by his hips and pulled him back down for a kiss, licking the tiny cuts along the bruised fingers. "I want you to leave here. When they come back, I don’t want you to witness what they will do to me. And I sure as hell don’t want anything to be done to you." He tenderly brushed away the shiny tears that silently trickled down Ken’s cheeks, threatening to overwhelm him. "There just isn’t enough time. I’m sorry, Ken. I really do love you." He sighed and embraced his kindred spirit one last time, tightening his hold when Ken started to weep. "Please…go now."

"NO! DAMMIT!" Lashing out with a hell-bent fury, Ken sprang upwards and aimed a punch at one of the nails. Ryu was quicker, catching the fist and stopping the momentum.

"Do you want to break all of your fingers?"

"Why did you stop me?!!" More anger and confusion flashed in the big, brown eyes. "I could have put a hole through the wall!"

"You are only human, beloved. If I had allowed you to perform that foolish act, you would have more holes in your hand than in the wall."

Beloved. A shudder went through Ken, he latched onto Ryu, refusing to let go. "I won’t leave you. I don’t care what they do to me."

That comment made Ryu growl loudly. "I care, you idiot! By remaining with me, you only make my suffering more intense. Do you want me to die with the image of you either dead first or awaiting to be tortured to death?"

"You said you couldn’t break the chains as a human. Do you have special powers as a wolf?"

"Yes, special abilities. Heightened senses, strength, augmented skeletal structure and increased speed."

"Then you can get free as a wolf?"

"Ken, the sun won’t set for another three hours at least. The townspeople will return before that time."

"Take me."

Ryu backed up against the wall, eyes wide with disbelief. "Wha…what do you mean?" His voice sounded nervous, not sure what to make of Ken’s suggestion.

Swallowing hard, the younger man moved his hand to the buttons on his shirt, beginning to open them up. Crawling further onto Ryu’s lap, keeping his gaze level and steady. "Mate with me," he ordered, using a term Ryu would not be able to ignore.

The wolf in Ryu snarled, lip drawing back to reveal his teeth, dark eyes narrowing. "No!"

"Why not?"

"You heard my mother. I need an heir."

"And you heard those men, they’ll be back to kill you. Then there will be no heir and no Ryu either."

"What you ask of me is too much. You want me to mate with you knowing full well that we cannot be together. I will take a female mate before the full moon tomorrow night. That will be permanent. If we do this now it will mean nothing. Just sex." Ryu pushed at Ken, knocking him to the ground. "I will not do that to you."

"Oh quit it with your stupid honor and twisted morals. I know what you have to do. I also know that in order to preserve your race, survival is mandatory. Are you still going to argue with me? You’re wasting valuable time."

Ryu watched Ken climb back on top of him to resume undressing. He could not prevent himself from reaching forward and tearing the shirt off of his mate. Giving into centuries of honed instincts and the condemning choke-hold of lust. "I wouldn’t do this at all if I didn’t love you," he insisted.

"Neither would I."

By just sliding one hand down Ken’s chest, to his belly, Ryu could sense just how nervous the man felt. His muscles were tense, hands trembling with uncertainty. It would be new to both of them but there would not be much time to savor what was to come. Ryu took hold of Ken’s hands, squeezed them and caught his lip in between his teeth, lightly biting him. The trembling increased but out of arousal instead of fear. "Relax," he soothed, unclasping Ken’s belt buckle, letting it hang from the loops there. Then reaching for the zipper of his jeans, carefully pulling it open so that he could caress Ken’s flat, muscled abdomen. He bent down, kissing the quivering flesh, hearing Ken hiss through his teeth.

"Ryu…what does mating entail in your race?"

"Everything," Ryu whispered. Slowly pulling the jeans down Ken’s slender legs, rubbing the exposed skin as he made his descent to keep him warm.

"Are you nervous?" He looked into the dark eyes, shifting a little so Ryu could toss his jeans off.

Using the back of his hand to brush along Ken’s knees, the man only shrugged. "It’s natural." Gently rubbing up and down those legs, circling to the inside where he could massage Ken’s inner thighs. The muscles there began to unclench, welcoming the contact. "We can stop at anytime if you don’t want to go through with this."

"I want to do this." Ken slid off his underwear, revealing the state he was already in by their movements. The moment he sat back down on Ryu’s legs, he felt an incredible surge of excitement as their flesh met. Suddenly, it was no longer chilly or damp inside the windmill but very hot and dry. A terrible thirst overcame Ken but not for replenishment, he wanted more than that. Something hard rubbed beneath him, slick and persistent for him to spread his legs wider. He realized instantly how intimate this position had become for the both of them. "Ryu…"

"I know." He moved a bit to relieve Ken temporarily of that pressure. "We’ll take it slow," he promised. "I won’t hurt you." Kissing down to Ken’s throat and then continuing lower, he began to sense the way his mate’s scent altered into something erotic. Their combined energy was creating the atmosphere he needed to break out of the curse passed down to him. His lips found a nipple, already taut from the cold air but not for long. He closed it up in his mouth, flicking his tongue over the sensitive bud, causing his lover to gasp. The other nipple was pinched between two of his fingers, bringing it to a similar state while Ken began to claw at Ryu’s shoulders to calm himself. "Your taste…it’s wonderful." He licked the other nipple anticipating his warm mouth to surround it.

"Ohhh… please." Lifting off of Ryu a bit, Ken arched his lower back, raising his hips eagerly. He was unprepared for the sudden flip that had him lying down on Ryu’s legs, being pulled closer. Both legs were hooked over Ryu’s shoulders, one hand between his thighs, softly stroking him. Just one finger to begin with, tracing his erection from the tip, down his shaft to where the light made his reddish hairs stand out.

"Is this what you want?"

"Yessss."

Another finger joined the first, testing the soft curls there, returning to sneak below Ken’s erect cock, gingerly caressing his sac. The younger man groaned, closing his eyes tightly, opening them again to watch what was being done to him. "I could stay this way with you for hours." He kissed along Ken’s inner thighs, licking his way to the clear trickle of arousal which he lapped up. Then, his mouth engulfed Ken’s cock quickly, knowing that he did not have all the time in the world. Swirling his tongue around the head numerous times, stilling the tremors which shot through Ken’s legs with his hands. The cries of mercy went unanswered as he began to lick up and down the shaft, pressing his lips firmly into the flesh before letting his grip slacken. Then beginning to suck hungrily, matching his rhythm with that of Ken’s thrusts. He carefully grazed the silken flesh with his teeth, sucking harder and faster as their frantic pace built up.

All the color drained from Ken’s face as he climaxed, experiencing an orgasm so powerful that he cried out ecstatically. "Mmm…that was… the best sensation I’ve ever felt," he rasped, throat dry from moaning.

Still drinking Ken’s essence, not wanting to waste a drop, Ryu smiled coyly to hear his lover enjoy it so much. He crawled on top of Ken, hearing him panting and craving more. "You make me very hungry." A long, sensuous kiss revived Ken from his reprieve, bringing his attention to the finger which found his untouched opening. Rubbing it until Ken began to burn with an internal fire, raising his knees and spreading his legs wider apart.

Ken reached down to brush Ryu’s length with his hand, delighting in the way that the man shivered. He began to tease him, caressing with short, quick strokes only to pull away again. Then, before Ryu could react, he had crawled over to wrap his fingers firmly around Ryu’s cock, stroking it faster and harder. While doing that, he moved up a little to kiss his lover, moaning with anticipation at the finger that suddenly penetrated him.

"There isn’t much time," Ryu pleaded.

But he couldn’t deter Ken from going down on him to lick at his straining organ. Slowly starting to suck on him, pressing his lips tightly to Ryu’s flesh. Then he was sucking with more pressure, enjoying the taste of Ryu’s arousal, wanting to experience the same thing that Ryu had. Needing so much more. He cupped Ryu’s balls in his hand, squeezing them until the man couldn’t take it any longer.

"I can…hear them…coming," Ryu gasped. He waited for Ken to rise up with a bewildered expression on his face before pressing him down to lie on his back. Gently rubbing the head of his cock to Ken’s opening before pushing into him. A cut off sound came from Ken’s throat, halting midway to be erased by a long moan. Waiting a few seconds before going deeper gave Ryu a chance to look at Ken for a long time. This was not just sex for him, he didn’t know how he could possibly walk away from it. Heir or no heir, he would not let Ken go. "Tell me when you’re ready."

"I’ve never been more ready."

Taking that as a sign to go ahead, Ryu began to thrust into Ken a bit faster to increase the pace. Massaging Ken’s inner thighs when the resistance became too much for him to proceed without hurting his lover. It was difficult to keep thrusting inside because of the lack of lubrication and also as a result of it being Ken’s first time. Not only that, Ryu wasn’t experienced in sexual endeavors either, finding no solace in the way his lover stiffened as if his back hurt.

"Can…you still…hear them?" Ken was reluctant to tell Ryu to slow down but the pain was overwhelming the pleasure. Neither of them could concentrate or maintain the romance when there were bound to be townspeople returning soon.

"They’re closer now." Ryu closed his eyes, breathing rhythmically, hearing only Ken’s panting, feeling only the tightness wrapping him in an intense warmth. He pulled Ken up and onto his lap, thrusting into him one last time as deep as he could go. At the same time, he sensed Ken pushing down to be impaled, crying out in ecstasy as Ryu filled him with his seed. For several seconds, neither moved, except for the last futile attempts Ken made to prolong the act. Grinding down onto Ryu while he was still erect. Then nothing.

"Did it work?"

A pained look entered Ryu’s eyes at the chosen words Ken used to break the silence. "I don’t feel any different," he muttered. Stroking down his lover’s sweat covered back, kissing him once more before releasing their cramped position.

"Maybe we can try again?" There was hope in his voice but also disappointment, maybe he had done something wrong. Perhaps he was not good enough for Ryu or the man really did need a female to dismiss the curse.

"We will, you are my mate now."

That startled Ken, causing him to fall off of Ryu’s lap. "You can’t!"

"There is only one person that can be my soul mate and it has always been you. I needed time to be certain of it. But you became blinded more than me when you insisted that I preserve my bloodline. I can’t have an heir without love but I can have love without an heir. And I love you. We are bonded now, through heart and soul as is tradition. I will never leave you."

"But…"

Then it happened, Ryu howled loud and angry as he began to transform, no longer needing the moon to do so, only provocation. The sounds of humans converging all around them forced him to shape-shift, growling as his wolf side took over. Ken observed, fascinated to see his lover replaced by that of a giant, proud wolf, massive paws stomping the ground mightily. A second later, Ryu the wolf was tearing at his shackles, snapping them off or ripping the hinges from the wall. Once he had finished that, he gazed up, recognizing Ken for who he was. Prior to their mating, he would only act on instincts, not able to rationalize like the human side of him was capable of doing. That had all changed.

"Follow me outside," Ryu the wolf spoke, still the same voice but deeper and rougher from the alteration of his vocal chords.

They reached the door with Ryu expectantly waiting for Ken to open it. However, the human was preoccupied with pulling back on his pants, shoving his arms into his shirt at the same time. "Ryu… I didn’t mean for it to come out like that."

"I know you didn’t."

"I just don’t want you to die."

Ryu the wolf nudged Ken’s arm with his head, licking the salty flesh for a minute before tugging on it gently. "We have to go now."

This time Ken opened the door and peered out, seeing that the moon still wasn’t very close to making an appearance even though the darkened forest had blackened even more. They had maybe an hour or so until the near-full moon rose but it was no longer of any consequence. Ryu could transform at will, didn’t need to be guided or restricted by those rules. He could roam wherever and whenever he wanted to now and in any form he chose. He had finally achieved his freedom.

"What do you see?"

"Men with torches…in the distance. I think I see women too."

The proud wolf came forward, pulling Ken back into the windmill, trotting to the far window. Then, in one leap, he had smashed through it, head tucked down with his paws taking most of the impact. He waited for Ken to hurry and climb through the broken glass before continuing on. Past the dried up river, back to where he belonged, embraced by nature and not the evil desires of humanity. To his home once more where his mother would be waiting for him. He was nearly bursting with excitement, ready to announce his joining to the woman that had raised him since birth. A kind and compassionate woman but also strong and defiant. She had saved them from destruction in an old war and still battled on with age and seclusion. This was going to be one of those times where Rose would forget her stubborn ways, accept the love he had found for himself and welcome Ken with open arms.

A dozen men ran after them, spotting the white wolf’s pelt shiny under the now visible moonlight. They started to take aim and fire with their pistols and rifles, hoping to maim first and kill later. Before Ryu could beckon Ken onto his back, he heard a scream, turning quickly to watch his mate fall. Ken had been shot.

"KEN!" Ryu leapt back the way he had come, springing backwards when a barrage of bullets nailed holes by his paws. These men were going to kill his mate, not giving him a chance to rescue Ken.

As four of the men were surrounding Ken who lay on his side, a startling thing happened. He began to howl in agony, now hunched over, clutching at his injured arm. His long hair grew thicker, sticking up from his neck and over his ears which became fuzzy and pointy, twitching sensitively. Fangs of an ivory color matched that of the thorny claws that dug into the dirt from four furry paws. The men were also stunned, unable to comprehend what was occurring or why. All of them were too terrified to move while Ken hissed, amber eyes glinting in the darkness, tail swishing a deadly warning.

Ryu watched as his mate, the golden wolf, started to scuff his paws in the dirt, testing different pitches of growling. Sometimes low, others erupted in high squeals, always ending with those fangs clashing together. *Mother will really love Ken now,* Ryu thought to himself. He found amusement in the way that Ken sniffed his own torn clothing strewn on the ground, came back up with his shirt covering his muzzle. So very comical and touching for Ryu to be confronted with a new addition to his kind, for Ken to experience what it was like to be half wolf, half man.

But the others were not amused, leveling their guns between Ken’s somber eyes, preparing to pull their triggers. Everything seemed to freeze momentarily as a woman walked onto the scene. Wayward hair bunched on top of her head, a simple gown of cloth flowing around her legs and arms. She gestured with a flick of her wrist, melting the bullets inside of the weapons with a bitter thought. They had almost killed her son’s mate, an offense forgivable by an eternity of suffering.

"Mother," Ryu called out.

Rose ignored him, pressing her hand to Ken’s muzzle, pushing him back towards Ryu. The golden wolf stumbled sideways, legs not so steady now that they were all furry and bony.

"What is she going to do?" Ken swallowed thickly, sounding like he had just choked on a bird.

"Trust me…you don’t want to know. She has a really bad temper." The white wolf licked the ear of his golden mate and growled with anticipation. "My mother can take care of these humans. Come with me, there’s something I must show you."

Ken wobbled after Ryu, contradicting his lithe and powerful body by tripping over rocks and flopping on top of tree stumps. He kept following Ryu, knowing that wherever they were going would decide how he would live out the rest of his life.

End of Part 3