Mal woke with his head hurting and feeling like he was trapped. He rubbed his eyes, the last several hours flashing through his mind like a whirlwind.
Meeting with Annaliese, the park, Annaliese telling of the firebird and other ancient birds, and her punching everett. That's where the headache came from. He'd changed forms with that one, his wolf so far past angry he couldn't control it. He'd tried, but the next thing he'd known was he was an animal ready to rip someone to shreds.
He looked down. A fluffy head was nestled on his chest and an arm sling over his waist. Everett snored peacefully, face smooshed cutely into his skin.
He was safe. He was wrapped securely in Mal's arms, one leg tossed over his. His hair was mussed and sticking up all over the place. He looked cute in his disheveled state.
Mal lifted the covers and looked down. As he thought, they were completely naked. He wasn't sure when Everett had stripped down. As gently as he could, he probed the other man's body for signs of play. He was completely dry so they hadn't done anything, and his body was at a normal temperature.
Unsure of what had happened, the werewolf rubbed his partner's back as he stared at a spot on the ceiling. Fourteen days. That was how long he was going to be without Everett. Tomorrow night he will leave for two weeks. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle it. They had barely been apart since the first night they'd slept together.
He knew why Everett had done it. He needed some training to be able to calm the raging inferno that boiled in his blood. He didn't want to hurt anyone, especially Mal. The werewolf knew that, but a part of him felt he was loing him. Then there were the others who were hunting him. It was going to get worse with him gone.
Everett sighed and shifted. He pressed his face into Mal's neck, breathing out heavily. His warm breath felt sticky on the other man's skin. The hand that had been draped over Mal's waist traveled up to cup his cheek. Smiling, Mal kissed his palm then held his hand against his chest.
He'd miss this the most. The quiet moments where they'd lay in bed or watch television. Everett liked to snuggle, laying atop or as close to Mal as he could get. It was the way he soothed himself. He seemed to sleep better when he was with Mal and his mood was infinitely better. What was he going to do while he was away? How would he sleep?
"Mal, go to sleep." The voice was deep and groggy. "I can feel you thinking."
The older man huffed out a laugh. "How did you know?"
"Your artery is thumping hard." Everett lifted his head to look at him. Mal went cross-eyed. "What is it?"
"You already know what it is."
Everett pulled his hand away from the one holding it and brought it up to his cheek. Slowly, he pulled Mal's face to his, kissing him gently. Mal responded, sealing their mouths several times. Each kiss became longer and more desperate, but none of them were sexually charged. Instead, it was filled with sadness and longing. They knew this was going to be the last time they were together for a while.
Slowly Everett sat up. Mal watched, hands slipping down his back as he moved. His eyes roved over his body, taking in every plane and inch of skin. He touched every ripple, every dip until he was satisfied. Everett's eyes were soft, almost molten lava as he watched Mal. Every time he blinked, a new flame erupted in his gaze.
"Why didn't you touch me?" Mal asked. He drew small circles on Everett's thigh. "You said you wanted to spend the day with me. I didn't know you meant this."
"I have a feeling I won't be sleeping much while I'm away," Everett said. His eyes were unsettled for a moment. "And we've never just laid in bed. We've always slept or fucked or both, but we've never just lain here. For once, that was all I wanted; just to be with you."
He took Mal's hand and laced their fingers. He looked them over, at the smooth skin and veins running up them into the arm. He lifted it to his face, pressed it to his cheek and kissed it softly. Mal's skin tingled as soon as his lips left his skin .
"I've dated a few people, but I've never felt half as what I feel for you." He paused, thinking carefully. Mal lifted his other hand and pushed back his bangs. "I can't say that right now. I want to but I can't. I hope you can forgive me since I'm leaving."
"Everett, you don't have to say it," Mal said, "but it's nice that I know you at least have those feelings." He paused, fingers caressing his face several times. "We don't have to do anything. We lay here and sleep all day if you want."
Everett sighed and stretched out. His waist settled atop Mal's crotch as the front half lay on his stomach. He placed his head on Mal's chest with his arms under his shoulders. Mal sighed and ran his hands through his hair, reveling at how clean it was despite not being washed in several hours.
Mal lifted his head, staring into Everett's mixed eyes with such love and admiration. The young man smiled, cheek pressed into his chest lovingly. Mal leaned down and drew him into a kiss. Everett let out a sad whimper, and the werewolf knew everything was finally settling in on him.
When they pulled back, Everett settled back in his original position, pressing several kisses to Mal's warm skin. Using his toes, Mal pulled the blacket over both of them and settled into the comfort of the bed.
~~~~~~~
Everett sat on the balcony with nothing but a robe on. Mal was asleep, having dropped off after Chinese food. Changing took its toll on him, and the young man was surprised at how easy he was taking it. Sometimes, he was irritable until he was biting everyone's head off.
Bastian was picking him up at midnight. There had been an attack on Annaliese's peopale as they'd prepared for Everett and the fire mage. The fae had closed down their borders, and no one was allowed in or out without a pass. Annaliese had made sure Everett had one before she'd disappeared into the depths of her home.
He didn't want to leave sooner, but he couldn't fathom anything happening to anyone close to him. He knew the fae could handle their own, but he didn't want a race war between the werewolvesd and the fae. Not over him at least.
If he'd known years ago what had happened and what would happen, he would have never come here. He would have never come back to this state, and he would never have met Mal. The last part was unbearable, but part of him wondered. If they hadn't met, would this life be so crazy?
He rubbed his forehead, sighing heavily. He didn't want to think hard about it. This was his life now, and he had to live with all the consequences. If someone wanted him dead, he'd have to deal with that someway too.
Everett glanced back at the bed. Mal was still asleep, sprawled out on his back. He wasn't sure what he would be able to do. Mal was important to him, so important he was willing to die training to make sure he wasn't the death of the other man. That may make him a martyr or whatever, but he couldn't let Mal fight for him. He had to do something productive.
He looked at the clock, sighing when the numbers blazed at him. His bag was already packed. He just had to change clothes and slip out. It was the coward's way out, but he didn't want the begging and the tears he knew would follow.
It was easier than he thought. He was able to change without waking Mal. His bag was by the front door. He'd left instructions with Astra and Ezra on his businesses and other personal things. Donovan also knew what to do. Everything was set. He just had to go. And that was the hard part.
Everett cast one last look to Mal, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He didn't want to leave like this, but he didn't want a scene. Mal would make it harder to leave. He was going to be made, but hopefully he understood and got over it fairly quickly.
He closed the door and headed down the hall. Bastian was waiting at the front door when he stepped outside. The fae man smiled and took Everett's bag so he could lock the door back. They walked to a black sedan, making Everett wonder how Bastian could touch iron and other metals.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" the fae asked. They got in the car and buckled up.
Everett looked at the house. "No. He'd want to come."
Bastian didn't say anything more, and soon they were on their way.
~~~~~~~~
"Donovan!"
Donovan and Ezra looked at each other. They liked that anger. It meant he was in his right mind, but he needed to tread carefully or he'd be severely punished.
Mal knocked on the door to Donovan's office but didn't wait for admittance. He walked in and threw an envelope down on the desk. Donovan recognized Everett's scrawling handwriting on the front.
"Did you know?" Mal demanded. Donovan looked up at him. "Did you know they were changing the times?"
The Alpha sat back, his arms draped across the chair arms. "Yes. Yes, I did. I called Everett myself."
"Why didn't you tell me? He's mine. You should have told me."
"And what would you have done?" Donovan stood and rounded the desk. "He's a grown man and he can make his own decisions."
Mal let out an anguished scream. He sank to the floor, his back resting against the wall. He dropped his head to his arms, and the other two men looked at each other. They understood his feelings. Donovan had lost his first wife to old age and his second to cancer. Claudia was his saving grace, but if something happened to her, he wouldn't remarry. Ezra wasn't as old, but he'd had a male lover when he'd first been changed in 1976. He knew the pain of someone leaving due to the change.
Everett hand't left for that reason. He was going to train so he knew how to control his new powers as they came out. As of right now, he would be back. That didn't console the wolf or the man. They were both grieving the loss. The wolf wanted its mate, and the man wanted his lover. They were the same yet different. The man was angry because he'd been left out of the decision.
Ezra picked up the envelope and pulled out its contents. His eyes swept over it quickly, understanding a bit more why he was so angry. Everett had told him everything. Astra was to help keep an eye on the clubs with Domino. Ezra was the power of attorney while Everett was gone since he was the ADA. If he needed anything done for the clubs and their employees, he was able to do it.
"Donovan, he's left you a bit more to do," he said.
Donovan took the letter and read it over. Everett's wishes were succinct; if anything happened to him, Donovan was to keep Mal from seeking revenge. He didn't want him to ruin his life because something had happened while Everett trained to control himself.
Sighing, the Alpha squatted down in front of his distraught wolf. He ruffled his head lovingly but didn't force him to look up. He heard Mal sniffle to show he was crying. As far as he knew, Donovan had never seen Mal cry. The wolf had done everything he had asked, even going on missions for him. But he had never cried.
The man sat down, crossing his legs. His knees bumped Mal's as adjusting his weight jostled him some. The younger man looked up, hiding his quivering mouth behind his wrists. His eyes were red with unshed tears, and streaks made his cheeks puffy.
"I was changed long ago and am much older than people believe," Donovan said. "I hated what I was for the longest, shirking responsibilities and running rogue for nearly two hundred years. I sailed with the Spanish as they searched for gold and disappeared into the unknown of the New World as soon as we landed, making my way to the southern United States slowly. I made friends with the natives and helped make the change for their people easier. Then I met my first wife, Caroline. She was a southern woman of French Creole descent and a spitfire. When she found out about me, she fully embraced our new life. We never had children and we thought it was my fault. Knowing what I do now, she had PCOS. So we raised two orphan children that had been left on our farm."
Mal sniffles were wet. "What happened to her?"
"She was eighty-three. Our children and grandchildren were with her during the day. Because I still looked twenty-five, I was with her at night to avoid suspicion. She died on New Year's Day in 1870." He took a deep breath. "Yvonna was in her forties when she died of Stage IV cancer. So I know the pain of losing someone involuntarily."
"I was twenty-two when I was changed," Ezra said. "1976, America's bicentennial. America was starting to change, especially in regards to sexuality. I was at a rally with my partner at the time when I was attacked. He decided being with a werewolf would be a burden. He died two years ago from a heart attack."
Mal rubbed his face. "Sorry, Ez."
"Don't be. It's what we deal with when we're brought into this life. Either our partners accept what we become or they reject us. Everett accepted you the moment he met you. Now you have to accept him. He has to do this to protect you, to protect the pack. If you decide to walk away, that's up to you. But at least wait until he returns to say it to his face."
The Alpha glanced at his second. "How are you so eloquent?"
Ezra shook his head. "I'm not, but the way he's acting makes it seem like he's already giving up."
The youngest wolf's anger spiked. "You didn't tell me he was leaving nearly a day ahead of schedule. I have a right to be angry."
"What would you have done? Hmm?" Donovan asked. "You would have followed him, and I need you here. We're going to track that woman and see if she actually leads to Almain Dupree. If she does, we're going to have a serious discussion."
Mal had heard that name before. Ezra had said something about him in the park, but he knew nothing about him.
"Who is that?" he asked.
Ezra scoffed. "He's a leader of renegade fae. They typically do things to annoy Annaliese and Echero, but if they're employing lone wolves, they're planning something. I have some sources searching his usual haunts. I just need some time."
Donovan patted Mal's shoulders and stood. "Go home. You'll need some rest if you want to be of any use to us. I understand your pain and forgive this one transgression, but know I will not tolerate insubordination again."
Mal stood. "I understand."
"Good. Take the day off to get your head on straight and report for duty tomorrow. We'll need you to help us on everything with Almain and whatever else comes up."
The young wolf nodded and excused himself as he left. Donovan looked at Ezra who was watching the door for a long while. When he finally looked at him, he looked uncomfortable.
"If Dupree is behind this," he said, "we may be in for a tense fight. If he knows who Mal is, he will target him to draw Everett out. Everett will kill him."
"You're scared Everett won't be the same if he does," Donovan surmised.
"No, that's not it. Everett is more possessive than Malcolm will ever be, but he's good at hiding it. I don't even think he realizes it most of the time. Once he gets this training out of the way, what will happen?"
The Alpha crossed his arms. "Everett's a good kid. You're right. He's way more possessive than we are, but Malcolm is just as much as he is. However, he is pack now. He will protect everyone."
Ezra's face wasn't convinced. "I'm not sure."
"Are you sure you're not frustrated because Malcolm has claimed him?"
The second scowled. "What are you talking about?"
"Tilly told Claudia about Everett and your fascination with him. She said you'd bring him by to meet her if you were serious." They looked at each other for a long moment. "Do you like Everett?"
This time Ezra sighed. "I did at one point, but he's so in love with Malcolm that I can't break it up. I guess I wished my first love had lasted like theirs. So I will do everything I can to make sure it happens."
Donovan watched his friend walk away. Ezra wasn't very emotional so for him to be drawn to Everett meant he was letting his guard down. He was letting people get close to him even if he couldn't get what he wanted.
He sighed and went back to being the chief of police. Even though all of this was going down in his own family, he still had a string of murders to solve. They were still working on that even though their leads were so strong. He had to make sure these were solved or his job would be on the line. And it wasn't the police job he was worried about.