loney days -takemyhand-

[BARRETT CALLUM LOND]

The beer was bitter and fizzy as it slid down his throat, but it was ice cold - not his brand of choice but an acceptable substitute for his norm. It did nothing to cut through the lazy, sticky heat that seemed to settle on everything in the area. Putting its heavy hand to make every plant and even the passing people - as few as they were - bend under its almost physical weight. Barrett however paid it no attention his eyes unfocused on the walkway in front of him as he sat on the stoop of Viktor's place. It had been a couple of weeks now, and he hadn't heard a word from the man. The hunter he had come to have some pretty strong feelings for had up and disappeared from the face of the earth it seemed.

At first...he hadn't been alarmed. No he'd been hurt after a missed date. All those years of buried insecurities came bubbling up - his past ghosts making an appearance to reek havoc on his poor psyche. There was a feeling of abandonment all over again...Was he not good enough? Had he been not enough of something? To much? His mind had swirled with those thoughts for days, and he had taken refuge in the Kinbok manor for several days, busying himself with remedial chores and repetitive acts.

Until...

Barrett had been repairing some cracked plaster, expertly cutting out the affected area that was inconveniently at the corner of the top of the wall near the ceiling. And to make matters worse it was in someone's bedroom - so his level of discomfort was only suffocated by the fact that it was...so personal. But he worked quickly but diligently. He'd smiled at the older couple half heartedly when the older lady kept offering him lemonade and mumbling something about what a good boy he was for doing all this work all the time - and how sorry she was to be a bother, to which he had replied only once it was no bother at all.

He had only been listening with half of his attention as she went on, seemingly skipping form topic to topic - once from her son, to her daughter and her children and how they never came around even though they were all in the same clan. She'd gone on about her deceased husband, smiling fondly at the black and white picture of the two of them - much younger and very much in love. It was a candid photo both smiling brightly - her feet off the ground and bundled warmly against the fall as leaves fell around them. She had tsk'd at him when she'd ask if he had found some special girl to which he could only smile a little and shake his head. A little afraid of where that particular topic could have gone he worked harder and faster.

He nearly stopped working completely as her rather a.d.d conversation to him turned an unexpected and jolting corner. "Its a shame really all the news here lately about those rogues and the things they are doing to people. Infecting. That isn't the Kinbok way," She had said rather proudly and with strong conviction. Barrett had glanced down over his shoulder curiously as she went on. "The latest I hear was that the one that got our Alpha-" Here she paused dramatically and leaned in, dropping her voice to a loud whisper - the words on her lips next sounding like a curse, and a icy drop of dread down his spine, "the Wicked Truth...I hear they got a hunter."

She'd straightened and went back to her needle point rocking a little in her chair and nattering about pack politics - all of which he tuned out instantly. Barrett really didn't remember finishing up or giving her a polite departure - which he was sure he did, but from that point on...he pulled out some pretty impressive sleuthing skills he didn't even realize he had possessed. The first thing that had come to mind that day was to be here at his house. He'd knocked at his door, banged at it sniffed around in almost a frantic pace before he actually caught a whiff of something at the back door. It confused him - it was Viktor of course, everything was soaked in the mans scent but there was something a little more...wild. For lack of better words.

He'd tore through the woods following the curious smell - his favorite leather jacket was now tore from ripping through low branches carelessly and finally when the trail seemed to go no where but in circles...he returned to the manor. A new focus and determination a lite on his face. He'd asked questions as inconspicuously as possible - most were so surprised that he was actually speaking to them that they offered information willingly and clues led him to the rouge area of town. A most unsavory neighborhood, but one that proved useful. Barrett would have liked to not to go back into that rather dark underground world where everything was so cut throat and dingy - it was eat or be eaten...quite literally. But this time around, unlike his youth...he was much more strong. He'd cast out a wide net of authority...gotten into a couple scraps - and more- and within a night had earned the respect of a few strangler werewolves.

They were pretty eager to give him the answers he wanted, in the dark corner of this fighting circle. So when he made it clear that he would have the Wicked Truth's head on a silver platter for dinner...for whatever reason, sick amusement on their part, or wanting the same, they gave him what he really needed. It didn't matter that he carried the scent of pack with him...one thing mattered down here...blood. And it was generally what you bartered for. A newspaper a few days old had been thrown his way, and he got the fluttering paper in one hand, and his narrowed icy baby blues turned steely at the headlines. Local man brutally attacked! He hadn't even needed to read the article - but forced his gaze to skim over it anyways - his boyfriends name standing out like it was highlighted in red, a few local people had named him from his frequent use of the gym. Within the next couple of minutes he was gone, his feet carrying him quickly to his truck before driving rather recklessly to the scene of the crime in town. At the gym - he knew the possibility of the trail just being dead cold.

One thing that gave him any sort of hope was he had heard so far, and the fact that no bodies had been left for the cops. Which meant that both of them were alive if just barely. But as hyper aware as he was he didn't miss the scent of Truth once he was close enough to things. The wet dog's scent was like acid in his nose and his features crinkled in disgust, even days old, it was everywhere like he had taken the time to just piss on every possible corner of the place. But he would never forget this particular scent...it was ingrained in his memory no matter how old. Things had moved progressively fast from there. Until it just...came to a stand still when he just couldn't find Viktor. He had to give it to the man...when he didn't want to be found, he wasn't going to be apparently. But Barrett was a patient man if anything. He had bided his time gathering more information about Viktor. More then he would have liked to know and the more he knew the heavier his heart grew until his shoulders just seemed to slump. Why wouldn't he come to Barrett? Knowing what he was...did he not think he could help? he didn't know what the man was thinking at all, actually. He had taken to wearing his emotions on his sleeve...and his wolf. And as he walked around the manor or anywhere, there were people taking notice of his dark demeanor. The thundering energy that rang off of him. His wolf may not have approved of his attraction to another man, but he understood - what was theirs was theirs.

Finishing off the beer he set it in the cardboard holder of the six pack and picked up another popping the top and tipping it back to take a long pull from the narrow neck. The sun was setting, and it did nothing to cool things off. When he relaxed, he let the bottle rest cradled in his grasp gently between his knees - his forearms propped on his knees. Barrett's tongue skimmed his bottom lip and his teeth caught the flesh, taking up the droplets of the fermented hop with it, as if not wanting to waste a thing. Barrett's head was surprisingly empty aside from just focusing on every sound, smell, or subtle shift of the air. Just as he was about to raise it back up for another drink, he stilled - his skin tightening his hooded eyes widening a little, not even a muscle twitching. The crunch of leaves and a small twig snapping under heavy steps sounded from somewhere behind him - around the back of the house.

In a flash those coiled muscles sprang lose and he moved a speed unnatural to anyone else. His eyes flashing gold under the raising half moon. He smelt wolf...Viktor and with it emotions crowded everything else out - including being of rationally sound. He left the drinks to tip over in the wake of his quick movement and slowly empty themselves out on the concrete. His booted feet halted, and with his stance wide his chest heaved a little from the burst he was finally looking the man in the eyes. His wolf dangerously close to the surface like it had been for weeks. Barrett's fingers were gripped the corner of the house nails indenting into the pliable wood. The strain could be seen all the way up his arm and into his neck. From the shadowy offerings he finally saw what he needed. Viktor in one piece.

With a long, shuddering, and forced breath out everything just seemed seep out of him. And his features crumbled a little. He couldn't get his lips to moving, but the look on his face was enough. Why. He just wanted to know why had he stayed away so long. Why had he worried himself into near exhaustion and sickness when he the man looked so good standing there. It had been him hadn't it. He couldn't help it or stop it - the emotions flew over him probably like an open book.

[VIKTOR LORENZ ALSVIK]

I can’t remember the last time that I got a full night’s sleep rather than the few minutes here and there that I’ve been living on the past few weeks. Every night, I’d settle down in my bed and I’d just hear every little noise out there. My mind would directly jump to the conclusion that it was my handler, the man who would know I’ve been infected by the very creatures I’ve been employed to kill. The day after this infection started altering me body and mind I talked to Jason, my handler. He laid down the laws. It was only his respect for me, for the reckless friendship that he had all these years that kept him from killing me on the spot.

I am now what the government is calling a new species of werewolf. Hunters… well our genetics are pretty much on steroids as it were, but when you add the supernatural into the mix as well… Let’s just say, if the government has a grudge against werewolves, they really don’t like when their multimillion dollar licensed killers get themselves infected. The new species of werewolves were bigger as wolves, stronger, faster, the genes that made us suitable Hunters made us superior werewolves. We are a liability as they see it. They have trained us to be killers since the moment they got their greedy hands on our souls. Until a few weeks ago, that is all I was, a killer by profession. Yeah, I felt guilty about it sometimes, I didn’t always enjoy my job but that was all that I had.

Just as I was a Hunter who killed werewolves, my Handler reigned me in, gave me my jobs, and now it was his time to hunt me and take out the liability of my existence has out for the government. In the knowing that after the three days grace period, which ended a couple weeks ago, he gave me because of our former friendship I haven’t been able to function. I don’t like being the one in the cross hairs of a gun. I was always the one on the trigger end of a gun, never the barrel end. I didn’t like the feeling not knowing when I was going to get that silver bullet straight threw my heart or brain.

Even the rare times I have been able to nod off to a restless sleep I couldn’t find rest. My mind would always go back to that fateful day in the gym where Truth injected his blood into me. His blood carried the very complex virus that caused this infection, mutation, a living hell that is now my body. I’d wake in a cold sweat, veins on fire with the Change that was happening to me. My breath ragged, my chest heaving with the effort of trying to get enough oxygen into my lungs, it never seemed like enough.

With just one injection the life I had known came to a grinding halt. I instantly went into survival mode. I had several safe houses just for this emergency around the country and of course several outside of the country if I ever got the chance to escape. There was a little shack hidden deep in the woods behind my house, a safe house where I could lie low. Once the little shack was a place where I’d interrogate werewolves that I managed to capture alive before I killed them; now it was home. It wasn’t safe for me to live in my actual house despite the extravagant security systems in place there.

Nothing was safe. I wasn’t safe. I wasn’t even safe to be around.

After that one last meeting with Jason I fell off the face of the earth, I knew how to hide and not be found if I wanted to. It wasn’t in me to just roll over and hide. I was more of the go down in a blaze of glory sort, take out as many people as I could before they could take me down. But there was one person I didn’t want to endanger but I was selfish at the same time. It would be safer for him if I just went to Jason and just let him “put me down” because in desperation of not finding me, Jason will find some way to draw me out. I have a weakness, a certain someone actually. Barrett.

Barrett, my main squeeze, a werewolf to managed to wiggle his way into my heart. I’d deny it if anyone asked, but he had me wrapped right around his finger. I wanted to go to him. I wanted to tell him I was alright or at least as well as I could be, I wanted to hear him tell me that all of this mess wasn’t really as bad as it seemed. I couldn’t do that to him though, I knew what just being seen with me would be a huge risk, a risk I wasn’t willing to gamble with. The stubborn man that I was oh so fond of didn’t know how to leave well enough alone though. Even if I was stowed away in hiding, my ear was to the ground, listening to the going on and the rumor mill as to what happened and what was to happen. I knew Barrett had been to my home, even been in my woods, it was almost like a physical pain to watch him so close but unreachable with my now tainted life. I wouldn’t risk him, I couldn’t.

I was unstable. I couldn’t handle the changes that were happening to me. I couldn’t handle the fire that was coursing through my veins. The never ending whispering in the back of my mind, a language that I didn’t know but could understand; it was the wolf; he was making his presence known. Every day he grew stronger, every day I felt less and less like myself. Would Barrett still like the new me, the new me that is changed because of this shit that had happened?

The stubborn man has been sitting in my front porch steps too long now. It gritted on my nerves knowing he was just sitting there like a target. I would have liked to go right up to him and give him a piece of my mind and a swift kick in the ass. I thought he would have given up his search for me after he kept hitting dead end after dead end with his little sleuthing expedition.

I heaved a heavy sigh with resignation knowing that he won. He wasn’t going to give up so it would be easier on the both of us if I went out there, give him a piece of my mind and send him right along on his way. Or at least that was my plan.

I always took a different route from my little shed out of the woods, always back tracking and going different ways. I know Jason didn’t have the sense of smell that I now have, but one could ever be too careful when your life was on the line. Even with all the winding turns I did it didn’t take me long to walk from the cabin to the back of my house. I took in that my lawn needed mowing, making a mental note that I would have to call to hire someone to do that, as I stepped out from the line of trees.

Barrett came into view with speed that would give sprinters jealousy problems. Just as Barrett came to a stop so did I. With just one look at him all the plans I had to give him a piece of my mind and send him along on his way seemed like a distant thought. Now all I could do was curse myself for being so foolish. I may have thought I’d save him by doing what I had done, but all I had done was hurt him worse than I have ever imagined. It felt like getting run over by a Mac truck at the surge of emotion that hit me. With that surge of emotion released the very, very tentative control I had on the ever growing power of my wolf. Eyes that are usually a brilliant blue faded into a molten gold just for a moment, the only sign that I was feeling anything. On the outside I gave off nothing but a closed off appearance, on the inside I was falling apart.

Slowly, cautiously, I walked toward him. I closed the distance between us, the closer I got the more I couldn’t handle it. My shoulders slumped, my brow knitted together, little cracks began to show in the “I’m a mighty Hunter and nothing bothers me” façade. I stopped in front of him, just a foot separated us. I searched his face for a moment, looking for any indication that he was going to seriously kick my ass, which is exactly what I would do if I were him.

Tentatively my left hand reached to him, lightly cupping his cheek. My calloused thumb brushed lightly over his cheek bone. In my mind I was screaming apologies to him, but my pride wasn’t allowing me to voice them. Instead a lop sided grin spread across my lips, ”how about we go inside before you break my house,” I said as I then eyed his hand that was causing some dents into the wood of my home.

[BARRETT CALLUM LOND]

Barrett swallowed a lump and it probably looked as labor intensive as it felt, but with his chin ducked a little, his eyes still glowing with a swirl of gold – mirroring - he watched Viktor approach. The strain of his grip left his entire body tense even when the man got close to him, his touch made a soft sigh escape as he leaned into the light hand and the familiar warmth melting him a little. The wolf was still very peeved for having to go through the turmoil of the last couple weeks. The anger had poisoned Barrett’s thinking but it was with the brush of that thumb that started to ground him. His eyes had remained open and his lips turned down even further into a frown as Viktor’s smirked. It was usually a look that had left him feeling like jelly inside. It still did, actually. But when their eyes trailed over to his hand – fingers starting to bloody up a little from the harsh grasp – he dropped his head while his hand remained.

It was going to take a lot more in him then he felt he had to let go, calm down. He didn’t want to hurt this man. He would never forgive himself. Barrett realized that he was still clinging to the thinking that he was just human – he knew better, however – but being newly infect was different then actually having gone through a change, coming into your power. No doubt he would be strong, and there was no doubt he was. But Barrett had Alpha potential, and in their world nothing topped that. That and he had been wolf for far too many years that he had stopped counting how old he actually was. His arm had started to tremble finely from the pressure and through gritted teeth he just dropped it, several splinters of wood coming off with the action. Barrett resisted the urge to grab the limb and rub the tingling appendage. Like for Viktor, it was a matter of pride. He was still a man first and foremost. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grimacing. “Sorry,” he offered, the word low, whispered, and husky in a gravelly sort of way – a hint of a growl coloring the timbre. “I’ll fix that later…”

Viktor just didn’t know what he did to him, had no clue. He would stake his life on that.

Barrett waited for the man in front of him to go first, instantly missing the warmth of the hand on his face – he looked anxious – his mind preoccupied with worry and it wasn’t until they were through the threshold the door not even closed properly that he moved again with an inhuman speed. He pinned Viktor against the nearest wall, doing the thing he had been wanting to for some time now. One hand on the wall to keep his hands out of his hair – he just didn’t trust himself that much in the moment – the other going to his hip and his face burying against the juncture of his neck. Barrett breathed deeply, his lips brushing skin and his cheek literally nuzzling. He just wanted contact so badly.

Starting a relationship of any kind was sort of a big deal to a werewolf, to put it mildly…well one he was truly serious about anyways and Viktor had never been just a onetime thing. The separation only staked his possessive nature deeper, and with the thought Barrett took a nip at the sensitive skin wanting to hear or feel a reaction. His lower half kept Viktor against the wall, all his weight going into the hold. It had been far to long since he’d touched this man and it was to much – smelling him, needing to get familiar all over again took over. Barrett wasn’t blind to everything but himself however, since just under the masculine spice of skin the musky woodsy smell floated up to him which caused a growl to claw its way up inhibited from his throat past his lips. He could taste Viktor’s wolf and he tensed because the conflict of the two were in a bitter way. The two were struggling against each other – and Barrett had spent enough time with younglings and had watched Matthew enough times to act to calm things.

His outer self still completely locked against Viktor, but something in the air shifted without warning. “Relax…please,” he breathed out hotly against him. Barrett poured his energy out and the solid black wolf formed in his mind teeth not bared but lips wrinkled in warning. He was giving this beast the chance at the target of his turbulent emotions. There was a moment of mild trepidation at what he was allowing, unknowing of the consequences, but he waited and his wolf didn’t disappoint. With a brush of fur rolling from the inside which left his skin crawling – almost folding in on himself at the sensation - he asserted himself in a way he’d longed to do for some time now. In a way Barrett had always denied him to. After a moment it was over, and not knowing really how Viktor would feel about the act, Barrett sort of let his body go limp, his knees no longer willing to hold up his stocky frame. He sort of slid down in a controlled, slow fall until his face was buried now into his lover’s stomach, the scratchy fabric of the tee annoying him, but his legs no longer feeling shaky. Both hands were gently at his hips – his heart hammering though.

He waited - waited to hear some sort of condemnation or rejection even as his cheek had pushed up the shirt tail so his breath skimmed hotly over the sliver of bare skin. Barrett silently berated Viktor on just how stupid he thought the man was…why put yourself through the hardship of trying to deal with this sort of thing on your own. Even when he’d been a young were at least he’d had the piece of shit rogue dominant over him to watch things to teach him things. Whether his boyfriend knew it or not, he was part of Barrett’s pack now…he and his wolf wouldn’t have any other way. It was safer there – he wouldn’t have to worry about watching his back or being alone come the full moon. “Why,” managed to croak out, “why didn’t you tell me.”

The words were heated with irritation but a load more than just that. “Obviously I am in no position to discriminate, Viktor.” Barrett tried to joke, but the flood gates were now open and it just coming out of his open mouth. He was peering up now through his lashes, eyes losing their golden tint, fading like a sunset, the points of gold getting smaller getting lost in pools of clear blue, “don’t you know I just want you. It doesn’t matter in what package you come in…” Or what’s in that package, he silently added. “Don’t you want me too?”

It took a lot out of him to ask that last question, he didn’t want to hear that Viktor just may not…but he had to know. He was tired of closing himself off. He didn’t want to lose someone else.

[VIKTOR LORENZ ALSVIK]

I eyed Barrett warily before turning away from him. I was just waiting for that other boot to drop and him loose that steely control that I could see that he only held onto by a fine thread. Something put the man on edge, I had a sharp pang of guilt that hit me knowing I was the one who caused it. Even if in my mind it was better for him if I just disappeared off the face of the earth. I knew it wasn't the right thing to do though. I tried to play our relationship off as just... friends with benefits maybe, just to make myself feel better about disappearing for a few weeks.

I stepped into the cool house, the place was eerily quiet, the air almost stagnant from the house being closed up for the past few weeks. I could still smell the bitter twang of blood from that night where I had gotten my ass kicked by the mutt. Under the smell of blood I could tell that Jason had been here, maybe a day or two after we had our meeting here. He must have known that I wouldn't have been too stupid to show up to my home since I knew what was going to happen if he ever caught me. My eyes turned to the living room as I moved further into the home, looking with a sense of loss at the upturned coffee table. Bullets lay scattered across the soft cream carpet, my gun with its magazine ejected both lay on the floor along with the mass of bullets. I may not have had my first shift, I may not have the senses that werewolves have just yet, but I do have years upon years of training and killing under my belt. I used extreme caution before letting my guard down.

It didn't take long for the silver allergy to take effect. I don't know if it is because my genetics were so different to begin with but it seemed like everything about this change seemed to be hitting me harder, stronger, and faster than it should. I no longer could touch most of my weapons. I still had my bow along with silver tipped arrows in my cabin, but Barrett is no threat to me - hopefully - so that stayed in its case on my table. But the one weapon I wish I could hold in my hand, feel its comfortable weight in my fingers was instead laying on my living room floor.

I had just started turning away from the mess that is my living room when Barrett damn near tackled me into the wall. I let out a soft hum of appreciation, I missed his touch. He still felt on edge, like there were a rough desperate need that he couldn't control. I've spent enough time dealing with werewolves to know not to push one, even one that you trusted your life to.

I tilted my head back, resting it against the wall behind me. I fully submitted to the man, baring my throat to him, every muscle was lax against the hard line of his body pressing me into the wall. I didn't try to get an upper hand to switch things around on him, some how I figured this is what he needed. It was strange to hear a protesting growl in the back of my mind. Apparently my wolf was very unhappy with the situation. He sure as hell didn't know what to think of this man pressing me into the wall and he for damn sure didn't like me submitting to him without question.

A deep growl rumbled in my chest when Barrett's teeth raked across the sensitive flesh on my neck. It wasn't an angry or defensive growl, it was a purely happy male sound, soft but warm with need. That sound scared the hell out of me, enough to cause me to start a little. It was one thing to have Barrett make those kind of noises but a whole different story when they came out of me.

I could feel a hot pressure building around me, in me. I've felt similar power before when I was in a sticky situation before with werewolves and they were drawing on their wolfs power, but its never had an effect on me before. The rolling power caused the hair on my neck to stand on end. It hit me like a hard wave, a strong hand pushing something down inside me. Maybe it wasn't pushing, more like coaxing. Either way I didn't know what the fuck was going on so I just kept my mouth shut and held on for the ride. I tried to relax like Barrett asked, taking a few deep breaths, it worked some but there was a tension between my shoulder blades that wouldn't ease. Plus I don't think I could have relaxed even if I wanted to with him pressed right up against me, but for other reasons.

I had a feeling of alarm wash over me when Barrett started sliding down me, his hands coming to rest on my hips. I had to control the shiver that wanted to run down the length of my spine at the wash of his hot breath against the small portion of exposed skin. Again guilt came to rest heavily in my chest when he started to speak. Why? The one question I didn't know if I could answer... The one question I had to answer. I let out a soft sigh as I slithered down the wall in the little room he gave me to move. I wiggled my way down, my shirt riding up in the process, until I sat down on the floor between him and the wall with him kneeling between my legs. I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest, listening to his strong, hammering heart.

"Because I'm scared. Because I'm now being the one hunted by my friends. Because I was too proud. Because I didn't want to admit that I finally failed..." my voice came out a course whisper. My head jerked up to give him a sharp look at what he said. "Seriously?" I said with more heat than I had intended, "of course I want you, you stupid man. I'm being hunted for as we speak. That is why. I ran to protect you. I don't want you to be cannon fodder. It would kill me if something happened to you and I was the reason for it." I let out a sharp tisk and shook my head.

[BARRETT CALLUM LOND]

Barrett wasn’t able to hold onto the wolf any long and he seemed as content as he was going to get at the moment, after years of being denied he seemed lazy with the sudden allowance of power – but no where near satisfied. Human affairs didn’t seem to impress him and there was an unspoken promise that he was no going to be buried again, not nearly as deep. He didn’t even try to fight it – all that mattered was Viktor as he slid down in the small space given to sit wedged in between the wall and him.

For himself he just needed to know that he wasn’t going to be running off again. The words were what he was needing to hear, wanting – and his throat felt thick as his fingers curled through Viktor’s hair. Swallowing a large majority of the emotion in his throat, the tension in his body dropped as his features softened while he was more or less scolded. Barrett’s lips dropped down to the waiting ones below. It was something he had been wanting to do since all this had begun, but the touch was slow and lingering, relishing the gentle brush. As much as he wanted to just sink down and give everything this man had coming to him, Barrett knew there was still so much more that was left to be said.

He couldn’t let Viktor go on thinking that he wasn’t going to be there for him, that there wasn’t someone that didn’t want him – no matter what was going on, who was after him. No matter what the situation, Barrett was going to be by his side. Whether he liked it or not. Letting out a quiet sight of his own, his eyes still closed Barrett pulled back a little. “I’m sorry, Viktor,” he said, but without sympathy in the words – understanding, sure. Barrett knew what a hard thing it was to have your life suddenly ripped from underneath you. He remembered clearly what it had been like to live in those dark days, wanting to give up his life if it meant a chance that he wouldn’t have to continue with a nightmare.

All it had taken was one hand to reach down into those murky depths and give him a hearty push forward. Looking down, blue eyes met once again blue eyes, “I didn’t want this for you…” Barrett couldn’t imagine what it must be like, because as hard as it was for werewolves for Hunters breathing down their neck…Viktor now had an extra added pressure. There were people that undoubtedly knew him personally. Ones that he had most likely worked with or grown up with coming for him now, and it was just part of the job, wasn’t it. As politicians sat high and mighty above them all dolling down orders they were all fighting for survival and it was more or less just a war to live. It wasn’t just up to werewolves to endure, but Hunters had joined the ranks somewhere along the lines. The were community wasn’t just tucking tail to run…and from what he knew, the hunter death toll was rising.

“And you only fail if you give up, or give in,” he muttered, fingers trailing down so one hand caught in the fabric on the front of Viktor’s shirt with a gentle tug Barrett sat back then went to the floor to lay on his back with the other man on top mimicking the wall situation only now reversed and horizontal. It was reminiscent in a way that made his skin tighten with heat, and all good intentions of talk flew right out that slightly ajar door. His stomach dropped in a good way as one booted foot brushed down Viktor’s leg and in between intimately. The hand that had been drawing mindless little patterns along his forearm slid up till his palm was against his neck, thumb brushing against the strong jaw line. His other hand still tangled in fabric moved up so he brushed along the finely sinewy tendons of his abdomen and stopped just under the well-defined peck muscles. His shirt wasn’t going to come off unless Barrett ripped it off or Viktor sat up to take it off and at the moment the pressure at his hips felt entirely to good to spare the shirt…

They would always be running, fighting, and struggling to make a life…but he wasn’t going to let Viktor give it all up so definitely. He wouldn’t say it but he’d been outrunning and out smarting hunters for a very long time. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it and he was going to remind the man just how much so. With a display of pure core strength Barrett flexed to sit half way up and a twitch of his bicep muscle he pulled him down a little so their lips crashed together – possessive warmth in the contact. Everything tingled in desperate need and it showed when he moved against his lover, hard. He wasn’t feeling submissive tonight though…and with another well executed twitch of his hip and shift of his body, he flipped their position, the hand on Viktor’s neck keeping his head from coming in contact with the floor harshly.

He was so focused so intent that he hadn’t noticed the disarray of his surroundings. With a certain kind of tunnel vision all he knew in those moments was Viktor. It was all he smelled, all he could taste and hear. With a growl he finished pushing up and away with a little coaxing to rid the barrier of clothing and only then sat up a little to do the same. The articles of clothing disappeared somewhere and before he could wonder to where (like he actually cared) his back bowed as he dipped down his mouth taking purchase against flushed skin.

With a shuddering breath out his eyes rolled closed and he stilled and Barrett just found himself moving to lie along Viktor. Every bit of himself against him, that he could get comfortably, propped on his elbows he let his head hand down so their foreheads touched with significant pressure. There was just one more thing he had to know, and he was surprised and somewhat proud of himself that he could actually form intelligible thoughts, “you aren’t…going to try to go off by yourself again are you?” His voice was raspy, gravelly in a growly way. “Promise me you won’t…” it was a plea and he wasn’t above begging or just going caveman and dragging him to the Kinbok manor. Viktor was just going to have to realize Barrett wasn’t going to give up easily.

He felt secure that Viktor felt the same even if their opinions on what was safer was differed.