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Chapter 5.0: The Scenic Route

Director's Trailer

When I woke up the next day, I smelled of rabbit and sex. Rob was gone but when I checked the time it was eight-thirty so I guessed he had gone off to start filming or whatever. I sighed like a schoolgirl who had just had sex with the high school quarterback. I missed the feel of Rob's body against mine and I missed our bodies merged together in senseless passion.

And the way he gave me head last night!

Man! His tongue is as good as any canine's!

He was also nice, warm and cuddly. Made me feel loved when he hugged me against his thick stomach and chest. He didn't have manboobs anymore. That was my influence. I forced him to work out with me when we were together and he couldn't be bothered doing sit ups or crunches so he just lifted weights. It gave him nice, firm pecs and quite meaty arms.

Oh! And he still had that birthday present I gave him!

A nice, clean, silver nipple ring.

It was fun playing with that!

I sighed and recalled the feelings and sensations of his paws all over my body and my paws all over his. I was reminded that last night was just a release of sexual tension and another 'breaking of the ice' between us. I guess I hadn't noticed it before but the fact that we were in the same production and I was half-naked most of the time must have aroused some things in him. It sort of made me guilty that I hadn't been paying as much attention to him as I rightly should have.

Well, it was the day I promised I'd get back to filming so I decided to hurry up, get dressed, get to makeup and start whatever scene Rob was going to have me do for the day. I slipped out of Rob's bed, marvelling at how small it was and wondering how we had ever squashed in together.

Oh right... Now I remember...

We saved space by sticking my dick up his ass...

Chuckling, I picked up my clothes and quickly got dressed. The smell of sex was everywhere and I was a little surprised Rob didn't spray some sort of scent remover around. Normally, I'd wake to that sound but I guess this time, he hadn't.

As I was throwing on my pants, I noticed there was a note on his desk. Thankfully, not a paper crane.

Jake,

_ Went off to filming today. You don't have to join us if you don't want to. Still got a lot of scenes without you in it and Kristine has to be off for another production halfway across the world in a few weeks. We're trying to get all her scenes done first._

There's no rush.

I'll see you later tonight, okay?

I love you

Love,

Regards,

Rob

I chuckled at the awkwardness of Rob's letter. Clearly, I wasn't the only one who had given our relationship a little bit of stress. I wondered exactly what his multiple corrections meant but I shrugged it off.

Last night, we had set the matter to rest and then sealed the deal with some pretty sweet sex.

I wondered where Rob took a shower considering how his trailer didn't have anything of the sort. I figured he probably showered in the motel or something. Since I smelled of sweat, him and semen, I decided I should do exactly the same thing.

I jumped out of Rob's trailer and headed straight to my motel room. Naturally, it was empty but Chad's scent was everywhere. It was refreshing compared to Rob's heady, salty scent that reminded me a little of the ocean. That crisp, dewdrop smell made me hard again so I immediately bolted into the shower and cooled off.

I won't lie.

While I was pounding Rob's ass, I had brief flashes where that cute bunny ass was replaced by a large, rounded, muscular, bubble butt. I am, a muscle queer. I love big, round muscles and I instantly get hard when I see a smoking hot muscular guy pass me by. It's why I asked for a private room whenever I go to my local gym. I told my personal trainer - a woman by the way - that it was because I was a famous author. She bought it - as well as my books.

Goddamnit! I can't believe I'm fantasising about Chad again after I set myself straight with him! One would think that after you get your rocks off, the hormones would stop for at least a little while - at least until movie production was over.

But no!

My fantasies were getting more insistent!

I think I actually shouted out Chad's name while I was making love to Rob... Or at least muttered his name in my sleep.

You know how girls always complain how the good looking guys are always gay?

Well for a gay guy, all the good looking ones are always straight.

It's such a pain in the ass... and not in a good way.

Even during my cooling shower, I had that shower fantasy where Chad came in and wrapped his muzzle around my cock...

"Okay," I growled, staring at my erection angrily. "That's it."

There was only one way I was ever going to put this matter to rest and that was to tell Chad that I was interested in him. Once he rejects me and probably gives me a black eye, all the fantasies will stop. Hopefully, I wouldn't cause him to quit because that'd just hurt Rob... but I think Chad is one of those people who don't really mind gays. He seemed too nice to be bigoted.

But then again... people were full of surprises.

All too often, I would just about reach the end of a tiring conflict and then some unexpected twist would come around from the last likely person. Then, as I thought about what I went through at gunpoint, I'd realise that it was glaring obvious from the start.

I just prayed I was right about Chad.

With my cast off, I finished my shower and headed off to find the rest of the movie team - hopefully not getting caught in another storm. I didn't find them anywhere and it wasn't until I asked a local that I was informed they were all the way up at Cross Castle for filming. That was a bit of a drive and I understood why Rob wanted to leave so early.

I headed up to the castle, taking a long, winding route up the mountain to that ominous set of black spires that just poked out from behind the trees. I had never really paid it much attention before. If anything, it screamed 'vampire castle'. I don't know what it is. It just did.

Once I got to the front gates, however, that all faded.

The production crew was everywhere and it stopped being a 'vampire castle' and more of 'just another movie set'. Trailers were everywhere, lights stood on stands, cameras hovered ominously in places and there was even large hoses pouring water into massive fans to give that 'rain' effect.

Chad was standing opposite to Kristine and Dennis again, this time he was accompanied by other, shirtless wolves - he was the only non-lupine there. Dennis was flanked by four other felines, two tigers and one cougar and one bobcat. It looked like a tense situation. There was a lot of yelling and the production team was deathly silent as the actors blurted their lines.

Then, at that point, Chad doubled over and let out loud growling noises.

"And cut!" Rob shouted. Chad sprung up with a big grin on his face. "And that's a wrap people! Good job! Now let's go back to town for the high school scene!"

I was reminded just how hard it was to find actors especially for scripts that were adopted from books. Not only did you have to find an actor that was good and fit the part but also an actor of the appropriate species. Again, I had to give Rob props for that.

Though I guess since Chad's character was meant to be a wolf, there had to be a tiny crack in his armour.

I navigated my way out of my car and towards Rob. Since my car had Dual Trito engines and was blissfully silent, it didn't make a loud, rumbling entrance which was probably a good thing since I didn't interrupt the filming. Before I could get to Rob, however, I was intercepted by a loud, cheerful 'Hey'.

All eyes flicked to me instantly.

"If it isn't our resident rising star!" Dennis chuckled from the courtyard. Someone had handed him and Kristine a towel and he was using both to dry her off as he stood soaked to the bone.

Before I could reply, Chad collided into me, wrapping me in a tight bear hug and lifting me off the ground. My whole brain shut down. I think I yarfed a couple of times but apart from that it was just as bad as if he were to give me his trademark Puppy Dog Pout. What was worse is that his thick fur was all over my sensitive nose and his scent filtered down my nostrils, jabbing little 'I (heart) Chad West' flags into my brain. His firm, muscled chest, wet and pressed all up against me made me wish I had decided to go to the set naked.

Chad set me down and I was still caught his allure when he gave me a confused look.

"You heal fast!"

Evil thoughts crept back into my brain and since I wasn't fully functional yet, I grinned and nodded towards Rob who looked a little stunned from a few feet away. "Oh yeah. Rob can attest to that."

Everyone suddenly fell silent.

Even Rob froze.

"Uh... What?" Chad asked, his eyes wide in shock.

"Didn't Rob tell you?" I asked, inclining my head to the side. "About me and him?"

If it was possible, Rob looked even paler than usual.

"Uh..."

"How he was the tutor and I was the student?"

Some of the bigger guys in the production crew were starting to close in on us... Chad wasn't moving but I think that's because he thought that if he pulled away, it'd be a sign that he was scared but if he got any closer he'd contract my 'queer cooties'. His fists were clenched and despite the fact that his fur was drenched, it looked really puffy from shock.

"No..."

"Oh, it's a funny story," I answered, crossing my arms and grinning. "When I was submitting a story to that was worth about... 20% of my grade, I think..." I glanced at Rob for confirmation. "You remember right? That story I wrote about the Evil Ravioli Queen?"

Rob looked like he had been slapped. "Oh... right! That one you were so proud of that you tripped down the stairs on your own tail and broke your left leg and fractured a collarbone!"

"That's the one!" I laughed, turning back to Chad. "I should've been in the hospital for up to three weeks but I was only there for a week. Healed really fast!" For emphasis, I pounded my chest then gave Chad a curious look. "What's with that look on your face?"

I might as well have gone around the entire courtyard and systematically slapped everyone with a pink wand shaped like a phallus, dressed in a tutu and plastic wings on my back saying, 'Ha! Ha! Made you think I was a fairy!'

Everyone was suddenly finding something to busy themselves with.

Even Chad was looking around desperately for something to occupy him.

Although I wasn't a fox - only kind of looked like on - I sure can be crafty sometimes. If anything, I know how to make things awkward for people. I could really be mean and press Chad for details but I decided I wasn't going to be that cruel.

Yet.

It's fun playing with straight people especially when they think you're straight.

Not advisable, mind you. I've gotten a fair amount of punches and knees to the balls. Sometimes, it was worth it.

Sometimes.

"I uh... I thought you were talking about something else," Chad muttered, brushing the back of his head. He was blushing and it made him look so adorable.

It took all my strength not to pounce him there and there, shout 'Puppy' and lick that gorgeous body from head to toe.

"Alright." I turned to Rob with a brilliant grin. "So! What's my next scene?"

The rest of the day was spent filming what scenes I had with Kristine. They were very few and mostly consisted of me watching Kristine or scenes that weren't in either the book or the movie but had some vague references to existing points in the plot. In essence, Rob was being careful to ensure that the things that happened in this movie - Crimson Moon - was only linked to the events of the previous movie and not the books.

It was actually very clever if you think about it.

Crimson Hearts- the first in the series - was similar in both mediums. But then by the time of the second instalment, the events were vastly different. That meant Rob hooked existing fans with the title and the first book and attracted doubters with the changed plot of the movies. Eventually, curiosity would win over the converts and they'd buy the books too.

It should get Rob more exposure and money.

_'Should'_being the operative word.

People are unpredictable.

Most of the time, I did very little but just lean against a wall and watch Kristine act out a couple of scenes with the others and the camera would pan over to reveal me. There was one only one big confrontation scene... and that was when Andrea was running off to meet Shane to stop him from killing Xavier after another rogue vampire had led to bleed profusely.

The scene began in the grounds quite a distance away from the castle. It was actually meant to be closer to the town but the viewers wouldn't know that. The rain machine was activated and Kristine - I mean, Andrea - was suddenly soaked. Shane was standing beside her.

"Okay!" Rob shouted through his megaphone. "Places everyone!"

I was a short distance away beside my car. Rob had decided that my car was perfect for the role of Jack. Sleek, cool, controlled but deadly.

"Alright!" Rob shouted. "Lights! Camera! Action!"

Chad - Shane - took several steps away from Andrea, angry steps. Andrea immediately lashed out, seizing his wrist.

"What are you doing, Shane!?" she demanded.

"What does it look like!?" Shane snapped, spinning back around to her. I couldn't see his face but I guessed it was contorted in rage. "I'm gonna find the goddamn leech that nearly turned you into a soulless, bloodsucking monster!"

"Not all vampires are bad!" Andrea protested, tugging at his arm harder. "The Kellers are -"

"Just like one of them!" Shane interrupted, spinning around and seizing her shoulders in both paws. "Can't you see that? They may act like they're one of us but they're just faking so that they can get closer to you! One of these days, you'll wake up with red eyes, no blood in your veins and your heart frozen!"

Andrea squirmed in Shane's strong grip. "You don't understand -"

"I understand everything," the werewolf snarled. "You don't know what it's like to be werewolf, Rea. All the memories of those others that went before me... I can feel them... They're right here..." He touched his heart. "It's like I lived them. I know what these bloodsuckers are capable of more than you ever will."

"No you don't!" Andrea shouted, pulling away immediately. This time, she was able to break free. "You think that just because a person's heart stops beating, they can't love?"

"Listen to what you're saying, Rea! That's not love! It's lust! Hunger... greed! He's just going to -"

WHAM!

She punched him. Naturally, it wasn't actually a real punch. It was perfectly choreographed and she missed but the camera angle made it look like she did. Sound effects would be added later. Andrea gasped and staggered back, holding her hand out of sigh. Her face, however, looked to be in a mix of pain and anger.

"Oh... Go -" She kept making half-curses while Shane stood there stoically.

"I get it..." Shane murmured softly. "I get that you think that you love him... But after what happened, I can't let you hurt yourself again..." He turned and started storming towards the camera.

"Shane!" Rea gasped. "Stop!"

Right on cue, Shane broke into a run and out of the camera's field of view. Andrea staggered a few steps before she purposefully tripped and slammed into the mud. Again, it was perfectly choreographed so she didn't actually fall.

That was my cue.

I jumped into my car, started it and rolled it quietly close enough to Andrea that the wheels would just be visible beside her head. For dramatic effect, I waited a few seconds before I opened the door and stepped out. Once again, I was in 'Jack Raver' attire but I had a black tank top on. I didn't shut the door and just stared down at Andrea until she was ready to look up at me.

When she did so, a camera beside her head panned upwards to meet my face.

"W - Who...?" Andrea began. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn her tears were real. She's that good of an actor.

"I'm just like you," I answered according to Rob's script. I kept my voice hollow and emotionless. "Caught between two worlds." I offered her my paw to her. "Not quite in the night, not quite in the day and not even in the twilight between. Belonging nowhere and anywhere at the same time."

"What...?"

"Just take my paw," I said with a smirk. "I doubt you want to stop your vampiric boyfriend looking like you went two rounds with chocolate cake and lost."

Gingerly, she took my paw and I helped her to her feet. Right on cue, the rain stopped and the light streamed in around us. Rob was really milking the scene for all it was worth. I had to resist the urge to look up at the sun in wonder.

"Your eyes..." Andrea whispered. "I've never seen anything like them."

That was Rob talking through his script. When we were together, that was exactly the first thought he had when we first met. My eyes were a sapphire-blue and when the light hit it right, according to Rob, they glistened like true sapphires. Apparently, it was meant to be the perfect amalgamation of the vampires' unnatural red that would turn black if they ever grew hungry and the natural dark hues of the werewolves. A few lights were being directed purposefully into my eyes so they could pan through the different hues of my eyes.

"Do you say that every guy that has supernatural leanings?"

Andrea flinched. "Wha - What? What are you?"

I tore my paw from hers and headed to the rear of my car where I flipped open the boot. I tossed her a few changes of clothes. "Here. These should fit you. Get dressed quickly. We don't want to be late."

"Late for what?"

I slammed the boot of my car and grinned up at her. "For your big scene, of course. You want to save both Xavier and Shane, right?"

Andrea shook her head in confusion. "How do you even know about them?"

"Does it matter how I know?" I answered, an enigmatic smile on my muzzle. "I know and I'm offering to help. Oh and I'm not after your blood or your body."

"You're not a vampire?"

I stretched out my arms to my sides, exposing my chest. "Do I sparkle?"

"A werewolf?"

"Do I look that buff?"

Andrea frowned and turned her back to me. "Don't watch."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

At that moment, Andrea turned around...

"Cut!" Rob clapped his hands. "Okay! Next scene!"

Andrea remained in position as I hurried out off camera view. In a few seconds, we were shooting again. As Andrea removed her soaked clothes, I purposefully looked away and found my eyes on Chad and Dennis. Dennis' eyes were planted on Andrea and he was nudging Chad a little. The big husky, however, had caught my gaze and quickly turned away. There was a little blush on his features and I wondered if he was thinking what I thought he was thinking...

If he was... then it probably wasn't a good idea if I actually confessed my lust for him.

Chances were, he'd be uncomfortable with my sexuality considering his reaction to my little stunt when he started filming.

On cue, Andrea had turned around to look at where I had been. To the viewers, it would seem like I had vanished. She turned around fully with her removed clothes conveniently covering any explicit bits. She bit her lower lip and quickly changed. Once she was done -

"Cut! Next scene!"

Again, she froze and I bolted into position, looming behind her. The cameras moved a little to ensure that there wasn't just a sudden 'blink' where I wasn't there one second and the next I was. They came to a side-on shot of Andrea.

"Action!"

When Andrea turned towards me, the camera followed her actions so the transition to my sudden appearance was smoother. She gasped and staggered back after nearly bumping into me.

"All set?" I asked calmly.

"Yeah..." she whispered.

I gave her a cocky smirk. "You'd think after hanging around a vampire and a werewolf for so long, you'd be used to the whole supernatural thing."

I jumped into my car and so did Andrea. Once we were both buckled up, I drove the car out of the camera's view.

"And cut!" Rob shouted. "Alright people! Let's break here for lunch and then we'll pick it up from the driving scene!"

By that he meant that my car will be mounted on a moving trailer that would take it up the assigned route. That way, I could focus on acting and not on my driving. That would take a while so it was lunch time for the actors and camera crew while the technicians did their thing.

I shivered audibly. "Brrr! How do you guys not freeze out here!?"

Andrea - back to Kristine - laughed and brushed her fur. "Thicker coat than yours." She ran her hand over my shoulder. "Are you sure you're a wolf? Never seen a wolf with such short fur. It reminds me of a Rottweiler's or a Doberman's because of its colour and length."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't get Rottweiler or Doberman a lot. 'Mutant Fox' or 'Malformed Jack Russell Terrier' was among the list. Never 'wolf' though.

"I'm weird," I answered, referring to more than my odd coat of fur.

We headed over to the table where the food was arrayed and I picked up a ham sandwich while Kristine took some salad.

"You know, it is a little bit cold out here," Kristine said, regarding her salad thoughtfully. "What do you say we go somewhere a little warmer?"

I shrugged, packed up a second sandwich and followed her away from the production crew deeper into the forest. We walked in silence and for what seemed like an eternity. I wanted to check my watch by remembered that I had left it back at the production site with the rest of my clothes. I had left my guns and combat knife as well but I kept my key and my phone just in case I ran into trouble.

I think it was about a good fifteen minutes later that we finally broke out of the wall of trees.

It was the same glade that I had visited two days ago. The one with the lightning-struck tree sitting alone on a barren rock. I was somewhat worried about her reasoning behind taking me so far from the production site and I dearly wished it wasn't because of what I thought she was thinking.

"Do you know I've been visiting here every chance I got since Mr. Lester began the first movie?"

That was confusing...

The first movie was just smoke, mirrors and a lot of special effects...

"Um..." I began.

Kristine chuckled softly. "When I saw the final product of when Andrea and Xavier met in this glade, I knew that I had to come here in person. When I close my eyes, I imagine that this is where my one true love will get down on one knee, take my hand, pull out a velvet box..."

I took a step away from her.

I was in panic mode again. I barely even knew her except for a few interactions outside of the movie! Now she was hinting to me that I should get down on one knee and propose to her!?

On a scale of 1 to 10, however, this was only about a 4. Anything above a 2 sets me into panic mode. I'm that easy to panic... or maybe I'm just that paranoid. Jokes start kicking in around 5. Mental black outs at 8 - AKA Chad's Puppy Dog Pouts - and at 10, I become oddly focused and enter a state of mental tranquility.

Still, it was a 4 and while my mind was racing, I still had enough mental functions to keep control of my joke reflex and maintain my outward cool.

"Do you keep expecting to walk here and find you man you're meant to be with every time you come here?"

Kristine shrugged and turned her almond-coloured eyes towards me. "One always has to keep hoping. That's what fantasies are for, right?"

I crossed my arms and bobbed my head from side to side. "A lot of people would agree with you there."

"I take it you're not one of them?" she replied, fixing me with a challenging stare.

"No. Because what you described just there isn't a fantasy. It's an escape from reality."

Her challenging look held but it obtained an edge of curiosity to it. "Aren't they the same?"

I shook my head, smiling a little crookedly. "No. A fantasy is a comparison. A reminder of just how much our life sucks and that there is always something better out there. What you're describing is someone choosing that reminder over the world that they currently inhabit."

She smiled slightly. "There's no harm in living in a fantasy world for a little while, is there?"

"Of course not. We can't help it. Reality sucks. It's natural that we choose to escape it every now and then but we always have to come back to this reality. That's just a fact of life. We're grounded here. Bound by laws we can't govern and there really isn't any escape unless we bribe a god or go through countless years of service for some arrogant deity."

Unfortunately, that probably wasn't an option for me. The gods can't use their powers on me. I was somehow immune being a Worldrider and all. That did mean, however, that if and when I die, I won't be going into Heaven or any sort of paradise. Not even Hell. I had no idea where I was going.

Which is why I was so determined not to die.

Kristine sighed and turned around to face the tree. "Do you find me attractive, Jacob?"

Here we go...

I was grateful she wasn't looking at me when I rolled me eyes. I wanted to tell her 'No, I'm not at all attracted to you. The only thing that I find even remotely attractive about you is the distance you put between yourself and me.'

I don't hate women. Just that with Kristine acting like the self-absorbed drama queen that she portrayed in the movie, I was losing a bit of my respect for her.

"I'm sure you'll make some man very happy some day, Kristine," I answered diplomatically.

"But what if I don't have 'some day'?" she answered, a hint of desperation in her voice. "What if he has eternity and I only have 'until the rest of my life'?"

The conversation was starting to get weird... It sounded like she was cutting and pasting excerpts from the Crimson Series and using them in real life... Maybe she was practicing...? Or what if she was just really getting into her character?

"Not entirely sure I know what you're asking here, Kristine," I answered, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

She answered with a long deep sigh and turned to me with sad eyes. "I'm sorry... I guess... I guess I'm just a little bit lonely. There really is something... romantic about this place, don't you think?"

I decided not to mention that we were filming a supernatural romance movie. But still...

"It's cold, wet, dark, dreary and there's a creepy castle looming not too far in the distance. Yeah, I'll take the sunny shores of Shellington if you don't mind."

Her dark mood instantly lifted, the mark of an actor. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure if she had been sincere with me or it was all some act for some grander scheme.

"You live in Shellington? I heard from somewhere that you lived in a secluded ranch somewhere in the east of Seaman's Cove."

When I my first bestseller hit the shelves, my then agent had been a total idiot and set up a press release. I was inexperienced, nervous and afraid people would find out I was gay and that'd ruin my career. So I blurted out random bits of information, such as where I lived. My parents fired my agent a short time after and Alexiel came into my life.

He was way better. I'm not sure if he's actually some sort of retired spy or something - he's actually younger than I am - but he is simply incredible. He set up a false lead that I was moving somewhere because of all the publicity I was getting and I couldn't work. I was supposed to make up some place so people would look for me endlessly and never find me.

I told him that I would be going to 'Semen's Cove' as a joke but that eventually translated to 'Seaman's Cove'. He was also the one that got me a personal trainer and basically got me to change my image. Back then, my hair was so short that I was basically bald. I looked more like a wolf without my blonde hair and I tried to go for that. I was also a little... tubby.

I lost weight in fat and put on weight in muscle and suddenly, I was a totally different wolf.

No one on the streets really recognized me... or knew where I lived.

And I owed that all to Alexiel.

I really don't give him enough credit.

I made a mental note to call him later and assure him I was working.

"I didn't say I lived there," I said, purposefully not confirming that I didn't live there either, "I just said I preferred it."

She chuckled softly. "I should really know better than to try and match words with an author..." Shaking her head, she smiled at me and said, "You're Mr. Lester's close friend, right?"

She had no idea how 'close' we really were... especially after last night.

"You could say that. Why?"

"I was wondering if you knew what initially got him interested in the whole vampire-slash-werewolf thing," Kristine said, inclining her head to the side.

That was something I had wondered myself a short while ago. I remembered that Rob did like playing a vampire out for my 'virgin blood' when we were dating back in my college years but I thought he had given up on that when we broke up. A terrible reminder, if you will, about our broken relationship. When I read the Crimson Series, I wondered if it was inspired by our relationship.

As far as I could tell, it wasn't.

"All I know is that he researched this place and its legends heavily," I answered with a shrug. "He got inspiration from this place."

Kristine bit her lower lip and glanced off towards Cross Castle. There was an odd look in her eyes... Conflict was evident in those brown orbs.

"What if I were to tell you that... That I believe wholeheartedly in the legends here?"

Again, I remained very diplomatic about my reply despite the fact my mind was spinning wildly out of control with my imagination. "You're free to believe whatever you want, Kristine. I'm not going to pass judgement on you."

Her eyes flicked towards me briefly. "What if I told you... That I had a secret... Not really a secret that's mine to tell... but something you should know about considering how... you're basically part of it now... and that your life is in danger by just being involved in the movie?"

Okay, the first thing I considered was that she didn't like the fact that I was apparently a better actor than her and this was some sort of well-conceived attempt to kick me off the set. Possibly scare me off like some old cartoon premise involving a group of kids and their 'meddling feral dog'.

There was, however, something in her eyes that planted the briefest hint of belief in me... It was just how she seemed sincere... But she was an actress, after all...

"Jake! Kris!"

We both turn back towards the forest line. Chad is waving at us.

Time to head back and I barely got through my sandwich.

Still with my arms crossed against my chest, I smiled tightly toward Kristine and said, "I'd say that if it's not your secret, then why are you even bothering hinting it to me."

"Because I don't want anyone else getting caught..." Her voice trailed off. She was about to say something but she obviously caught her tongue. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay... How about this? Research the Cross Family, Jacob... and research Dennis' family too."

I snorted and turned around. "I think I might now that you're being so mysterious about it. You coming?"

Kristine gave a long, lonely sigh and nodded. "In a minute, I'll catch up."

"Don't get bitten."

I headed back with Chad beside me. I expected him to pester me about what it was that Kris and I were discussing but oddly enough, we walked in silence. I noticed that he was still blushing lightly. I guess my little sideswipe at him earlier was still fresh in his memory.

When we got to within a few seconds from the production site, Chad suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Hey Jake, I was wondering if you'd like to hit the beach with me tonight."

I flicked my ears towards him. "The beach?" I responded. "What? Like a beach party? Anyone else coming?"

Chad hesitated and he brushed the back of his neck with one paw. "Erm... No. No one else is coming. It's just you and me again..."

I shrugged and smiled. It's kind of nice seeing Chad being the one constantly uncomfortable instead of me. Briefly, I had this fantasy about Chad and I walking paw in paw across the beach with the sunset to our backs and looking dreamily into each other's eyes. It ended with a complimentary beach-sex-scene but I cut it off there.

I had gauged Chad's reactions to my little hints of my sexuality and it was evident that if he realised I liked cock, he'd either give me a black eye or rip my balls off.

On that note, this little invitation probably wasn't anything more than a friendly gesture.

"Sure thing. What time?"

Despite the fact his face said he was nervous as hell, his tail said he couldn't be happier. It was wagging everywhere and even brushing against me every now and then. "Um... About five? So we can catch the sunset?"

"Sure thing."

Chapter 5.2: Who let the Dogs Out!?

Cliff Beach

Rob had invited me to do some more 'editing' back at his trailer but I politely declined telling him that I was going out with Chad again. The bunny looked a little jealous about that development but he told me to have fun anyway and to use 'protection'.

Something you should know about Mortaelians. Since we consist of different species, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases is quite low especially between inter-species couples. Genital herpes for one species might not even be contracted by another species. The keyword is 'might' and regardless, no one ever wanted to run the risk.

There were some generic diseases like a cold, flu or cancer were still around but apart from that, most diseases or viruses tended to be species-specific. Sometimes, subspecies diseases were dangerous - such as if I were to sleep with Chad because he's canine and I'm lupine but I am not going to do that - but mostly, there isn't much to worry about.

I met Chad out in front of the motel. He had a six pack of beer in one paw and he was hiding his glorious chest with a black singlet. For the first time since I met him, he was wearing a pair of pants. They looked good on him.

"Ready to go?" he asked, his tail wagging excitedly. Whatever nervousness he felt was long gone.

"Ready and raring," I answered with a grin. I had bought my own six pack of beer and a packet of my favourite potato chips - sweet chilli and sour cream flavoured.

He led me away from the motel and we just walked to the forest where he found a path that led us down to the beach. Cliff Beach was named because of the long strip of golden sand that had sheer, sandstone cliffs flanking its eastern half and the vast, turquoise ocean to the west. Chad had timed our visit perfectly so that we were walking across the sand with the sunset.

I had strategically bought two items of food on our trip so I wouldn't be tempted to reach out and grab his paw. Mind you, it was incredibly tempting. Long walk down the beach, high tide, sunset... yeah, whether Chad realised it or not, he was extremely romantic.

One day, he'll make some girl very happy.

How depressing...

I decided to turn my attention elsewhere. Chad's cute, bubble but and that thick, fluffy, wagging tail was just begging to be yiffed and the only way I could hold myself back was to drive an imaginary dagger through my heart. It was barely enough because in my mind, my blood was soaking into the sand and forming the words 'Yiff Him!'

I looked off towards the sunset and wondered what Kristine had meant about looking up the Cross Family and Dennis... Were they somehow related...? I couldn't shake the sick feeling in my stomach that I should be back in my room pestering by dad about details instead of spending some time with a friend that I could never get into bed unless he was really drunk.

I had to remind myself about Nova's warning...

Vampires were around the corner and Kristine had effectively warned me about the vampires...

Wham!

It felt like I had hit a brick wall, one covered in thick fur that smelled like morning dew. Electricity jumped from Chad's hard, muscled body straight into my heart and I had to fight every instinct in my body not to drop the six pack and chips in my paws, hug Chad tightly and wrap my muzzle around his shoulder, nibbling and hinting at a mating bite.

For future reference, mating bites are very important between canines and lupines. Each species has their own nuances when it comes to romance. For dogs and wolves, licks are like a customary greeting. With felines, it's pretty much like a more affectionate kiss. Reptiles don't do it at all and consider it rude. Mating bites for canines and lupines is basically like a proposal. Other species tended to do it as well but there just wasn't that instinctive... 'bonding' that came with the action as with 'butt-sniffers' like us.

I staggered back as Chad regarded me with his puppy-dog eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I answered. I nodded towards the sunset. "Just caught up in the beauty of the moment." I wondered why he had stopped and when I looked down, I realised he had removed his shoes.

His footpaws were big...

... and if what they say about the size of your feet versus... ahem...

"You know, I never noticed before but you're a digi," I observed.

Chad wiggled his footpaws, digging them into the sand. "And you're a planti."

Two things to note about Mortaelians - their stance differs. Some Mortaelians have a digitigrade stance while others have plantigrade. Most are digitigrade and mostly prefer to go barepaw all over the place. Those with plantigrade stances - such as myself - have the benefit of finding easier shoe sizes so we prefer to use shoes and socks.

"It's kinda one of the things that I got away with when I auditioned for the part of Shane Fang," Chad said, flicking his ears back. "Shane is meant to be a planti."

I inclined my head to the side as we continued down the beach. "I have wondered how you got the part when you and Shane are so different..."

Chad whimpered a little. "I think Mr. Lester was just a little desperate. His budget was already a little strained when the casting call came for my part. There were tonnes of wolves that wanted the part. I'm not sure why he picked me..."

"No offense," I began, "but I would've thought you'd be turned around at the door considering you're the wrong species and all..." I hoped I didn't offend him.

He chuckled and flashed me a grin. "Nah. I think I was just lucky. That or Mr. Lester just took pity on me. I was a Husky in a sea of wolves. And all those wolves were a lot bigger than me."

The average wolf stood at about six foot nine - there were a lot of jokes about that - but our sizes ranged from six foot three to well past seven feet - I think the tallest was about eight foot two. Our builds tended to be quite muscular as well. I was just slightly above average at my six-foot-ten. Smaller than my six-foot-eleven dad and way smaller than my seven-foot-ten mom.

Chad and I stood at about the same height. He was a little shorter than me. An inch or two, perhaps.

"Did Rob ever tell you why he picked you?" I asked.

Chad shook his head and shrugged. "Nope. But I'm not going to ask why I got lucky. Just make the most of it."

"That's a good motto to have."

A small, sad smile crossed his features and after seeing him cheery and perky most of the time, I will admit that smile looked very alien on his face. "Yeah... I'm pretty lucky... But some people have all the luck."

"Huh?"

His brown eyes turned to me, full of sadness, regret... and a bit of hope. "Have you ever fallen in love with someone only to realise that you two could never be together?"

I had to hide a wince. It was another Crimson Series extract moment.

"Depends on the situation," I answered, turning my gaze away from him. "You'll never know unless you actually try."

"Right... But what are the odds you can change someone's heart? What if they're set on their ways or they've basically fallen in love with someone else?"

I rolled my eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, you should never give up hope. The one thing about love is that it's like metal. It's strong and nearly unbreakable but it's also malleable. It can change but you just need to put the effort into it."

"Right..."

I turned my gaze back towards him. "Why the sudden interest anyway?"

Chad immediately averted his gaze, a light blush on his features. "Just... Someone I know has fallen in love with a co-worker... and I kinda want them to myself..."

I was about to interject about thinking about what that person wanted... when I realised who Chad was talking about.

Kristine...

I had heard rumours about Kristine and Dennis' secret love and combining that with Kristine's earlier explanation about her impatience for a proposal, I guessed that Chad had wanted to have a paw in the race. Obviously, he was far behind if Kristine was expecting Dennis to pop the question.

It wasn't hard to figure out.

Seriously, a young, fresh actor right out of college with a bright future working next to one of the more established actresses who had been in the business since she was a cub? It would start out as admiration. Kristine would probably lend him a hand now and then, giving him tips. A friendly dinner or two and then that admiration would turn into adoration... and finally, love...

It was the Crimson Series without vampires and werewolves.

I decided to leave the subject. I wasn't exactly a great repository on the term 'love'.

"So where are we going anyway?" I asked.

Chad brightened up, but only very slightly. "Over there. Point Edge."

Point Edge was pretty much as its name described. It was a massive spear of rock that jutted out from the cliff face like a plank on a pirate ship. The Azuria River which ran down from the mountains cut through the Veranti forest and slipped off Point Edge, making a large waterfall that cascaded down into the salty waters of the ocean.

Chad explained that when he and Kristine worked together on the first movie - there's that confirmation on my suspicions - she took him to Point Edge. Some of the other wolves had taken to jumping off Point Edge as a form of cliff diving. Chad could never work up the nerve. I suspected it was because Kristine didn't jump either and he preferred to be next to her than showing off.

We sat down near the edge of the Point and opened a can of beer each.

Silence ruled us as the sun slowly began to set before our very eyes. I was taken by the serene, simple beauty of the scene. I was always reminded by something my dad told me when I was just a pup, sitting on the roof of our house watching the sunset across the ocean from our old house.

"Never go chasing the horizon, Jake. You'll never catch up to it and you'll get lost in promises that will never come true. You'll just go around in circles. It's nice to look at but it's never worth chasing."

"Hey Jake..."

I lowered my beer. As I mentioned before, alcohol has no effect on me. My regeneration just kicks it straight out of my system. Even then, I was carefully nursing my beer. I still had to have dinner and I didn't want to ruin it.

Chad set down his empty beer can and took another one.

Wow... He's a heavy drinker...

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Do you like Kristine?"

Before I replied, a thousand little possibilities started jabbing the back of my skull like a thousand, miniscule daggers stabbing my brain. Of them, the most prominent, was the idea of turning Chad, Dennis and Kristine's 'love triangle' into a 'love square'... or a pyramid... Whichever one depicts most accurately that I'm supposed to have relations with Kristine when I'm not even interested in her and Chad and Dennis are after my nuts because of it.

To my horror, my imagination ran away with me again.

Chad would tell me that it's okay if I was after Kristine because he relished the challenge and make an alliance with me to get Dennis out of the picture. Naturally, I'd agree because I'd get more time to spend with Chad. Then, when we start to execute 'Operation: Vampires Suck', Dennis would approach me with a counter offer and then I'd be caught in a tug-of-war between the two.

Lastly, Kristine would approach me and tell me that she wasn't interested in me but since this was during filming and the homophobic Chad was next to me, I would have no choice but to tell her that I was going to fight for her regardless.

Of course, she'll end up falling for my charm, wit and general awesomeness...

Right...

My fantasy ended there and I growled bitterly.

"You don't like her?" Chad asked.

I realised he was responding to my growl and not my thoughts. "She's okay as a friend," I answered. "But not my type."

He visibly relaxed and his tail was wagging again. Probably thinking that meant he had less competition now. "What is your type then?"

I had to stop myself from saying 'with a nice, foot-long sausage covered in mayonnaise'.

"Tall, at least as tall as I am. No shorter than a few inches. Sporty. Fit. Smart. Humble. Funny. And has to have a good imagination."

Chad deflated a little. "Oh... So you want your soul mate to have written a book too, huh?"

I shook my head as I decided to play the 'best-friend card'. "No. Trust me, some people who wrote books aren't very imaginative. I'm talking more about other ways to express your imagination." I elbowed him suggestively. "If you know what I mean."

He grinned at me, his tail wagging. I couldn't help it. My tail was wagging too. For a few seconds, our tails brushed against one another but when he didn't flinch away, I realised that he was comfortable enough with his sexuality that he didn't look too much into our tails brushing against one another. Hell, we were just two friends, sharing a beer talking about girls.

Wait... isn't that how porn movies start...

Yarf...

"Like what?" Chad asked.

My Squeaky Hammer of Idiocy Toy appeared again and it started bashing the back of my head, trying to make me stop thinking what I was thinking.

"Dude, I'm not telling you any of my secrets," I said, folding my arms and grinning confidently.

Saved!

Chad picked up another beer and began chugging that down. "Alright," he said, letting out a soft belch. "How about this? I'll tell you one of the things that gets me going and then you tell me one of yours. Every time the other guy reveals something more embarrassing than the other, we take a chug?"

Well, not like alcohol would inhibit me anyway.

Besides, it would be fun to see Chad drunk.

Maybe I could bring him back to the back of my car and -

Squeak!

"You're on," I answered, picking up my half-finished beer. "And you first."

"Oh no," he laughed, nudging me with an elbow. "You came up with the game. You first."

I rolled my eyes and lifted my beer. "Fine." I ran through my list of my kinks and what really gets me hard. I avoided the 'I like cock' several times. Which was kind of hard since it came up every third time on that goddamn list.

"I like it when they play with my feet," I said.

"You got a foot fetish there?" Chad said, grinning.

"Sort of..." I was blushing. Why did I ever agree to this game?

"I like thick fur," Chad said, smirking and confidently taking a long gulp from his beer.

I saw his strategy.

He was purposefully revealing very little of himself to get me drunk! These first few would be 'free shots' as it were. He was saving up his big kinks for later when I'd run out and I'll be forced to drink continuously.

Although it wouldn't work, my imagination kicked into high gear. The reason he was wearing so much clothing suddenly was because he was hiding a camera somewhere on his body. At one point, when he thought I was completely wasted, he'd steal a kiss or expose me with my cock out - full and hard - take a photograph and show it to Kristine. At that point, she'd be totally convinced I was gay and that'd kick me out of contention for her.

Firstly, I wasn't after Kristine.

Secondly, I was gay.

Lastly, alcohol didn't have any effect on me.

But he didn't know that.

This was going to be so much fun.

"I love it when they get right between my toes," I said, grinning a little stupidly. I hoped he thought I was already drunk or at least partway there. "Especially love species with long, flexible tongues like reptiles, giraffes or canines."

Chad straightened confidently. "Yeah? Well, I'm a sucker when they nibble on my ears or lick my ears."

I had to give him that so I took a drink. "I guess it goes without saying that I love being licked."

The Husky's jaw dropped. "Oh my god... You're a sub!?"

Damnit... I didn't mean to expose that!

"No!"

Chad threw his head back and laughed. "That's worth a whole can!" He guzzled the last of his beer and picked up another. "Well... Maybe two." And he guzzled that one too.

Wow... He puts away his beer like he puts away his food...

I ducked my head a little. This time, the embarrassment was full-on and I was grateful I had jet-black fur so my blush wasn't evident. Still, my ears were folded back so he knew I was a little embarrassed.

"Aw, come on," Chad said, wrapping a long, muscular arm around my shoulders. The contact instantly made me hard and I drew up my knees to my chest to hide it. I hoped he thought I was just feeling a little ashamed. "I actually love wrestling and I've fantasised about having rough, wild sex all over a room where we knock over stuff, make a mess and break furniture."

I picked up my beer and grinned at that. "Alright... That's pretty weird."

"Hey, I'm a werewolf!" he laughed. His words were getting a little slurred now and his eyes were a bit unfocused. "I'm allowed to have wild, crazy sex! Oh! And anal! I love sticking my dick in a tight, firm ass!"

"You think that's bad?" I replied with a smirk. "I have ultra-sensitive nipples. Put a paw on my nipples and I'm instantly rock hard."

Mentally, I added 'Go ahead, give it a try. See what I'll do.'

Suddenly, I had this vision of Jack Raver dolls populating the shelves of local toy stores. It'd have 'Twist my Nipples and Watch me Salute' on the box.

Yarf...

"Dude, you purposefully trying to get me drunk?" Chad laughed, taking more drinks. This time, he didn't stick to the appointed number and he finished the whole six pack by himself. "You gonna finish that?" he asked, pointing at me can.

Before I could say anything, he took it from my paws and guzzled the contents.

Now I was getting worried.

He was really drunk.

"O-kay..." I said, getting up and letting him slouch on the ground. "I think it's about time that you had enough."

"Aw... Come on!" Chad whined, grinning stupidly. "I haven't even told you about how I love shoving my tongue down their throat all the way!"

Goddamnit... I loved it when guys did that to me and now that he mentioned it, I was fantasising about Chad West's tongue deep in my muzzle, brushing against the back of my throat and -

I shook my head. "Come on, Chad. Let's get you some coffee. We got work in the morning."

"Dude," he growled. "Why you gotta be like that? We're having fun - hic - ain't we?"

I grabbed his arm and hoisted it over my shoulder. "You are. Right now, I'm worried." I could smell the beer on his breath and it was putting me off, killing my erection instantly.

"Not like you got anything to worry about..." He burped loudly. "You basically got Kristine eating out of your paw..."

I flinched and turned to him. "What?"

"She took you to her glade, didn't she? It's her 'private little spot' where she takes all the guys she's interested in. Took Dennis there and we all know where that went."

Now I was confused. "Huh?"

"All she wants is some normal guy," Chad continued, completely ignoring me. "Not some prissy bloodsucker! You're perfect for her..." Suddenly, he straightened but that didn't last. He was wavering a little as he stared at me with his brown eyes, full of intensity and seriously. They were still a little glazed over however. "... but you shouldn't go with her, Jake. You can do so much better!"

Of course I could do better than her.

I'm gay.

If I started going out with a girl, I probably hit the bottom rung.

"Right..." I took his paw. Again the touch was electric but I ignored my erection. "Look, you're drunk, Chad. Let's get you back to the motel before you start saying things you'll regret."

"No." Chad said that forcefully and seized my shoulders with equal strength. "Don't go after Kris, Jake. She - burp - isn't worth it. You... You should go out with someone who - hic - will appreciate you, love you and never go after some other guy because for one second her boyfriend had doubts."

"Huh?"

Chad staggered back a little and giggled. "You didn't hear? Hic. You know why Kris is heading out of town for a while? It's 'cuz Den couldn't bring himself to have sex with her. She wants it bad. Wants kids too, I think." He began giggling again. "Oh! And Den's parents would never let him date a goat. They're all uppity and have sticks up their arses..."

Was that why Kris took me to the glade? She was hoping to get Dennis jealous so that he would commit to her more? Perhaps that was what she meant by him having eternity and her only having 'until the rest of her life'. Dennis - being a man - could have sex with anyone and constantly produce the required substances to produce a child. But Kristine, being a woman, only had a limited time before she could have a child.

Perhaps it wasn't the idea of actually producing a child from their union but rather that she wanted a child that Dennis couldn't commit to. They weren't even married or officially engaged yet and all of the sudden, she not only wanted that but also a baby...

No wonder he was a little freaked out...

"That's all well and good, Chad," I said, taking his paw again. "Come on, we gotta get you to bed."

He pulled my paw and gripped it tightly, preventing me from pulling away."Not until you promise you won't go after Kris!"

I was getting a little irritated at him. "Chad, why is it any business of yours who I do or do not date?"

"'Cuz I care about you, dude!" he answered, that goofy grin on his face. His eyes were drooping slightly. "You're my bro!"

"Right... Well, as your 'bro', I think we should get you out of here before you fall off the cliff..."

I took him a few steps away from Point Edge but he suddenly stopped again.

"Jake... Are you going to go after Kris?"

I rolled my eyes and turned to him. "No, Chad. I'm not going to go after Kris."

He pouted, even going so far as to stick out his tongue at me. "You're lying! When you drop me off at the motel, you're gonna go right up to her and serenade her or something."

"No, Chad. I'm -"

He cut me off.

"I mean, she's vulnerable and all, right? That's what you guys do, right?"

That slight irritation was growing as he gripped my paw harder, actually causing me pain. "What do you mean 'us gu -'"

"She needs someone strong and you'll be there to comfort her. Giver her kids and then you'll live happily ever after."

Okay, I was seriously getting pissed. I tried squirming out of his grip but he seized my other paw, causing me to gasp. "What!? I'm not even -"

"That is until you get a divorce and then your career goes down the drain because she's the one with all the connections and stuff... I mean, she's only using you to get back to Den... Anyone can see that!"

"Chad! Let go of my -" I think something actually broke and that brought tears to my eyes.

"You deserve someone better! You deserve -"

"Let go!" I shouted, pulling my paws free of his grip. A gasp escaped my muzzle as my regeneration started fixing my poor, broken paws.

"Geez, Chad. What's gotten into you?" I growled, shaking my paws and regarding them. They looked a little swollen. Would take about a minute before they were back to normal. "I'm not after Kristine, alright? Not even remotely. I barely know her."

I shook my head, whimpering slightly as my the pain in my paws dulled to a faint throbbing. "Why are you so fixated on who I -"

I turned to face Chad on 'I'...

...

... and he kissed me.

Yarf.