Wolf

Keegan frowned, leaning against an old tree that happened to be just behind the home he and Micah shared. It was far enough away that he could just barely make out the small bit of lamplight from the back window but he was unconcerned. As he’d predicted after only two days of being home Micah and Lisa had become engaged and she spent a fair amount of time at their house now. Her brother always accompanied her after dark though, which meant in addition to Micah there was also Lisa and Luke. He didn’t mind so much tonight though, not with Wolf’s voice still ringing through his head.

Ever since camp he’d come often and they’d formed an odd sort of relationship that left Keegan constantly a step behind. He showed up whatever night he wanted and expected Keegan to be waiting and he always was. By morning Wolf would be gone and Keegan would be left wondering where he always disappeared to, partly thrilled and partly terrified to know. Instead he simply took what Wolf was willing to give. There was no major significance to the morning he’d learned however, other than it made Wolf more likely to be seen. His aversion to the sun came simply from the fact that he disliked the heat of it and the way the rays blinded his overly sensitive eyes.

“Wolf,” Keegan said quietly, nearly sighing the words. He had been waiting for a while and he was growing bored.

“My little pet.” Keegan looked behind him at the words to see Wolf lounging carelessly in the tree itself. “You’ve been here for a while. Aren’t you tired of waiting?”

“You always show up eventually,” Keegan said simply, shrugging. Wolf let out a hard laugh as he fell from the tree and landed next to Keegan. “I didn’t think to look up.”

“Silly boy,” he said, teasing. “How’ve you been this week? You look tired. You smell of other men.” It was a challenge and a test. Keegan could hear the threat in Wolf’s voice and he knew what it meant. Though he wouldn’t kill Keegan- at least not yet- he’d certainly kill whomever he’d been sleeping with.

“I’ve been training with some of my friends, staying in shape. I haven’t been sleeping much though.”

“Why little one?” he questioned, moving a hand to toy with the fiery strands of Keegan’s hair. He always seemed fascinated by the flame-colored locks and the way they tended to curl in soft tendrils if left to their own devices. He’d made Keegan promise once that he wouldn’t cut his hair, entirely too entranced by the strands that were long enough to brush his shoulders.

“I hear voices, well a voice. It keeps telling me to come meet it by the water. It tells me that it’s you but it isn’t. I know how you feel and it isn’t like that,” Keegan admitted, shaking his head. He’d wondered if he were going crazy, some side effect of being with a demon.

“Don’t listen to it,” Wolf said sharply and Keegan flinched away at the sudden fury in the demon’s eyes. He knew that look and it usually meant he was nearly at his breaking point, that he was ready to kill.

“Hey come back,” Keegan pleaded, reaching out for Wolf’s hand. “Come back to me my muirnín.” Wolf looked at him through red eyes a snarl already on his lips when Keegan pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Wolf’s hands came wrapped tight around his shoulders and he could feel the violence in them until the grip finally relaxed and Wolf was leaning into the kiss.

“Sorry my pet,” Wolf said when he pulled away. He pressed a surprisingly gentle kiss to Keegan’s cheek before pulling him to the ground so that they could sit next to each other.

“Why shouldn’t I listen to it Wolf? What does it want from me?” he asked quietly. The demon’s eyes narrowed again and he nearly attacked Keegan as he shoved him into the ground. His lips were hungry, biting at any piece of skin that was visible and not being near as careful as he normally was. It wasn’t out of concern for Keegan the boy knew but out of concern of someone noticing and taking his plaything from him.

It didn’t matter though why he did in the end though. It benefited both of them that he didn’t have to walk around with bites and bruises covering his skin so freely. Tonight that seemed irrelevant though and he was certain that the way Wolf was biting and sucking at his skin that it was intentional, that he was determined to mark him as thoroughly as he could. Keegan couldn’t find the willpower to resist as he arched into the demon’s touch, moaning and gasping out words that he only seemed to remember when he was with Wolf.

“When will you kill me?” Keegan asked quietly and the fingers that had been carding through his hair paused for only a moment.

“Are you so ready for death?” he asked and Keegan swore he heard amusement in the demon’s voice.

“No,” he answered quickly, “but I knew what getting involved with you would mean. Tonight when I was waiting, you were letting me leave weren’t you?” Keegan questioned, the realization hitting him hard with its force.

“Yes Keegan, I was,” he admitted quietly and the use of his actual name had him surprised and a few steps behind.

“How long were you giving me? Why?”

“Till you called for me Keegan. If you’d walked away I would have never called for you again. You’ve been so cooperative my little disaster that I figured it was only right to give you a chance to walk away. You are good entertainment. Be it that you’re brave or just stupid, you’re intriguing.”

“So when I become boring… you’ll kill me?” The demon made a quiet noise of agreement as he twisted Keegan’s hair around his fingers. Keegan couldn’t find it in himself to be afraid. He’d known it was inevitable and at least for tonight he was safe. Wolf was holding onto him and the arm that wasn’t in his hair was draped possessively across his waist as he relaxed into the demon, lying chest to chest. “What are the voices?”

“Those that would take you from me is all, a territorial dispute. Ignore them or you will die.” Keegan nodded obediently before stretching his neck up to beg for a kiss. Wolf chuckled but ignored him until Keegan let out a quiet whine. “I never expected you to be so fun little disaster.” Keegan chose not to respond, as he was never sure if such comments were an insult or compliment and instead reached up to run his hand over the muscles in Wolf’s bare arm.

“W-what is t-this?” Keegan gasped out. He leapt to his feet with wide eyes as he rubbed at his wrist. “W-Wolf I- No. This has to go!” He was frantic as he attempted to get the winding design off his wrist, its color the same as Wolf’s bloody eyes. It stood out against his pale skin horrifically but the more he rubbed it the more entranced he became by the pattern. He found himself tracing it with his fingers, head cocked to the side.

“You gave yourself to me willingly tonight,” Wolf said quietly, calm and still lying on the ground. “I gave you the choice to leave but you chose not to. It’s a mark of a demon’s… lover.”

“I can’t hide this Wolf. It’s so stark and Micah’s bound to notice before morning even comes. He’ll find out and-“

“I won’t kill your brother if he comes after me,” Wolf promised. “I guarantee nothing towards any others but your brother will be safe in my presence.”

“But what will I tell him Wolf? What do I do?”

“You come back to me,” he said simply. “I enjoy playing with your hair and you’re depriving me of that privilege.” At the pout that came onto Wolf’s face Keegan found himself chuckling quietly and feeling suddenly less frantic. He wasn’t entirely sure when he’d allowed himself to acknowledge it but he’d found himself completely enraptured by the demon. He was terrified to admit it but he was nearly positive he loved the creature.

“Will it fade?” Keegan asked quietly from where he was now wrapped in Wolf’s arms.

“Not until we no longer are together.”

“That’ll never happen,” Keegan said in a near whisper. “When you tire of this… whatever this is you will kill me.”

“Indeed. You are mine Keegan and you should keep that in mind.” Keegan chose to curl into Wolf instead of responding, savoring the feeling of love that he could delude himself into believing was there.

“How… What’s it like, your life?”

“Nothing you’d want to think of,” Wolf said quietly through a dark laugh.

“I do though,” Keegan said simply as he wound his fingers through Wolf’s.

“I kill Keegan. My life is about killing those who irritate me or who get in my way.”

“So you have to kill? Or you just like to?” Keegan ventured hesitantly.

“I don’t have to as much as I do probably but if I don’t the need builds until it’s too much to control. More people would die that way I’d suspect.”

“But you’re so kind here, with me. You don’t act like a killer. I trust you.”

“And that is why you’ll die eventually,” Wolf said through a bitter laugh. The violence in it made Keegan shiver and he was tempted to pull away from Wolf. If he said he needed to go, needed to get back so Micah might not notice he might be able to escape but he doubted it. “Demons exist to keep a balance in this world, to ensure that life and death remain the way that destiny demands. I am not kind Keegan. You humans…” he trailed off, seeming to search for the right words. “You are naïve creatures. You always believe a person can be redeemed, that they can be saved from their fate.”

“What if you could be? Would you want it?” Keegan questioned, daring to look into Wolf’s eyes.

“No.” The words were simple, cold. “Besides, it cannot be done.”

“If it could? I’ve looked into a lot about demons… There’s a way.”

“I do not want to attempt it regardless. I enjoy the life I lead. I can kill with no remorse, take what I want, and there are no consequences for any of it.” Keegan didn’t press him further. He hadn’t really found a way regardless of Wolf’s answer. It was merely curiosity that had him saying that, wanting to know if somewhere there was a shred of humanity alive still. “I’m bored,” Wolf said after a moment. “Go on back home Keegan and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you then,” Keegan said quickly, jumping to his feet. He was about to start walking away when he heard Wolf call him back, eyebrow raised. “Tomorrow,” Keegan said as he gave the demon a soft kiss. He didn’t want to linger near the demon when he began to get bored. It would be the end of his life and he wasn’t eager to reach that point.