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Chapter 6.0: Run Away!

Wolfehome Apartments

I suddenly knew how supervillains felt.

It is a very good thing that I've spent the majority of my life planting little teleportation crystals in key locations around Shellington to make a hasty escape should I ever need them. Mind you, on occasion, I end up in the worst of places because people have moved my crystals. More than once, I've flashed into my parents' bedroom... with my father in bed with another man.

Honestly, it's happened more than once and I'm pretty sure Isaac Reaper has been systematically hunting down my crystals and collecting them.

Thankfully, the one I planted in my apartment was still there.

Needless to say I was royally pissed at Devlin.

"What were you thinking!?" I barked, throwing him against my bed.

The big footballer flattened his ears and whimpered softly. "Your dad is very persuasive, Jake..."

Not exactly the response I was expecting. Frustration boiled inside my gut, giving me a horrible sense of indigestion. Even looking at Devlin was making me fume and I spun around, gripping my temples, my claws digging into my flesh.

"Jake... I'm sorry... I know we just started this relationship..." His strong arms wrapped around my chest, holding me tightly. His long, sheath brushed against my ass cheeks, his pecs pressing up against my back. I could feel his big, pink nipples brushing against my shoulder blades. "... and you must feel like I betrayed you... I didn't mean to..."

I wasn't even thinking about that.

Isaac Reaper - my father - will hump anything with a pulse and if he can, he'll get someone to hump him. Devlin wasn't to know. As far as I saw it, at one point or another, either myself, Chad or Dev would've had to screw my father at one point in their lives. Hell, I had this sneaking suspicion that when my dad lay dying of old age in the hospital, he'll request every leave but me and then, as his last, dying wish, he'd ask me to fuck him silly.

He'd go out with a look of utter sexual bliss on his face.

"No," I growled, pushing away from Dev and turning to face him. "Don't you get it, Dev? This whole day was meant to be about my mom getting her frustrations over what you did all those years out of her system so she can finally forgive you." My claws were digging into my skull again. "And now... God... She's probably going to hunt you down, chop you up into a million pieces and then spend the next millennium cloning you from each of those pieces only to chop them up again and repeat the process for all eternity!"

His icy blue eyes were full of scepticism, one eyebrow raised and one ear lowered. "Jake, it's not that bad..."

I gave him my most exasperated stare. "Dev... You just fucked my dad and my mom caught you."

Three seconds.

That exactly how long it took for the situation to actually come crashing down upon him a shatter all his hopes and dreams.

One second to realise that he just stuck his 11 inch cock in my dad's ass and my mom walked in on him.

Another second to realise that my mom was a superhero.

And the last second to go into an Unmentionable Brain-Meltdown of Apocalyptic Proportions.

Funny thing is... I've never seen so much emotion in his eyes as I did at that moment. They went wide with panic, fear breaking the icy film. His muzzle fell, horror creeping up to his ears, weighing them down before working its way to his tail and causing it to gravitate between his legs.

The next few words that came out of his mouth were 'Ohmygod' and 'Iamsodead'.

There was something quite adorable about how he dove under the sheets of my bed, buried his head under a pillow and quivered. Memories of the times when we young and we decided to watch a scary movie (recommended audience 18 and over) against our parents' wishes... rather, my parents. We spent the night clutching to one another, shaking and never getting a wink of sleep.

But speaking of parents...

The bed was shaking under my rear as I gently placed a paw against his shoulders - or at least where I assumed his shoulders were. Seriously, he's all muscle. It's hard to tell which is actually what part. I slinked up close to him, the touch of my body seemingly calming his fearful heart somewhat.

"Hey Dev... Whatever happened to your mom?"

The shivering stopped. I saw Dev's nose poke out from beneath my pillow. "She left."

The shortness of the statement revealed a lot.

"What do you mean she left? Did she die?" I realised I was being overly blunt and possibly insensitive. Still, I figured if I got him thinking about his mom, he'd forget about mine... at least until Rebecca Reaper burst through the door and demanded his blood as a sacrifice to 'purify' her husband in the eyes of the gods.

Dev slipped the pillow over his nose again.

He was not getting away from interrogation that easily.

I seized the pillow and threw it across the room. Dev just sunk under the sheets.

Rolling my eyes, I decided on a different tactic. I pulled the rest of the simulation suit I was still half-wearing off my sweaty figure, tossing it to the ground. My singlet and boxers came off shortly afterwards. Now fully in the buff, I crawled under the sheets and wiggled my way up to Dev's face. My nose brushed against his thick thighs and I caught a whiff of his scent. I couldn't resist a tentative lick of his sheath and he shook in response. I brushed my cheek against his chiselled abs, wormed my way over the valley of his pecs and finally nestled in against the crook of his neck.

My arms found purchase around his massive form. He was cold but I could sense he was slowly warming up. His paws loosened around the blanket and wrapped around my shoulders gently.

"After she married that Rooks guy... She... She went nuts."

"How nuts? 'Bouncing off the wall' nuts or 'Isaac Reaper' nuts?"

Dev was silent for a short while. "'Epic Diva' nuts. My stepfather was the kind of guy that showered her with gifts all the time. First chance he got, he kicked me out because he thought I was 'wasting' money that would be better given to my mom." His enormous chest inflated slowly and all that air came rushing out in a ragged half-sigh, half-sob. "Then... when they finally ran out of money... my mom went nuts."

My lips wanted to move, ask him instinctively what happened afterwards but my brain sent it into lockdown, threw away the key and began filtering in a paralytic gas into its cell so that it couldn't move at all.

"She began demanding things of him... Starting comparing him to my real dad and saying some shit about the 'good old days' when I was around. I think she got it into her head that I was like her 'good luck' charm. Whenever I was around, things were good. Even begged me one time to come back. I told her I wished she was dead."

"You didn't go back."

A statement, not a question.

"I didn't go back."

"But you still go under 'Rooks'?"

The dry chuckle from that rose from his throat spoke volumes on his opinion of his stepfather. "Rooks was an asshole. He turned my mom into an asshole. But it was still my name at the time... Besides, I didn't like 'Pinsk' anymore because it reminded me of all those times I was an asshole to you..." He chuckled again but this time, it was filled with a degree of humour.

He brushed his nose against my neck, taking a long, deep breath. He let it out slowly, his hot breath washing over my back and filling me with so much warmth. Those big, muscular arms of his tightened around my back, encasing me in his mounds of muscle.

"You know... Since we're mates and all... I wouldn't mind taking on 'Reaper'."

My heart skipped a beat.

I wasn't sure why but those words just seemed to spark something in my chest and in my head. The words 'Devlin Reaper' kept replaying over and over in my mind's eye. Along with the image of a white-picket fenced house with three kids running around, all 'Reapers'.

Devlin Reaper...

It disturbed me a little that I didn't see Chad there...

"You sure that's what you want?" I asked softly.

"Jake..." He locked gazes with me, pressing his nose against mine. "I was never meant to be a 'Pinsk'... and I sucked as a 'Rooks'. But all along, I should've realised that I was meant to be a 'Reaper'."

I couldn't stop myself.

I pushed myself away, grinning broadly. "Okay, that was too corny. Even for you."

My grin was mirrored across his face. "Hey, it gives me a good excuse to have fucked your dad, right? It's no longer cheating. It's incest."

I don't know why but for some reason, that was goddamn hot. I drooled at the prospect of Dev being my brother, mounting my dad and myself marrying him. Good thing we wouldn't be able to reproduce. Though given my dad's ingenuity, I was guessing he'd find some way to ensure we made little bouncing baby boys for him.

'More cocks to suck' would be his words...

"So you think your mom will be after me?" Dev asked softly, ears flattened against his head.

"I -"

My phone rang.

We both stared at where it sat in the pile of clothes I had deposited. A quick exchange of glances later, I bent over and snatched it from the floor.

I turned to ice.

It was my mom.

"Don't answer it!" Dev cried, scurrying backwards and slamming his back against my bed's headrest. "She'll jump out of the phone and kill me!"

"She doesn't have that kind of superpower, Dev," I snorted. Still, I dreaded hitting that 'receive' button.

"Who fucking cares about her superpowers!? She's a mother and a wife! I fucked both her son and husband!"

Good point...

"Guess you're screwed then," I snickered and hit the 'receive' button. "Hi mom."

"Jacob."

Did I mention I turned to ice?

Yeah well, not only that, but I turned into a frozen piece of rock with no hope of ever melting.

"Mom...?"

"Put me on speaker phone."

"Mom, come on -"

"Jacob, if you don't put me on speaker phone, I'm going to get you a dildo for your birthday."

I held out my phone at arm's length, wondering how a dildo for my birthday was any form of punishment. I feared asking but...

"How is that a punishment?"

"Because you'll need a replacement."

Eep.

I put her on speaker phone.

"Devlin. I know you're there."

Dev whimpered in the corner, his legs tucked up to his chin and hugging a pillow tightly. I'd be scared too. Thus far, he had seen the wrath of my mother not only on the football and VRCSs field but also on the legal field. Her best weapon was Alexiel after all and if my mom didn't rip Dev to shreds, she'd bury him in so much legal paperwork that he'd wish he was torn to shreds.

Probably aim to get him killed through paper cuts.

Yikes... Death through paper cuts... got to be one of the worst ways to go.

"I understand that you have been considerably lonely, Devlin,"_my mom said softly, her voice gentle and losing its hard, stern edge. _"Having lost your father, your family falling apart and then going through life as a young man without any form of support except for the camaraderie of your teammates. I understand that all too well. Friends cannot extend past the boundaries of love or if they do... it is very rare."

There was a pause and I think I heard the shuffling of papers.

Was she reading off a speech?

"Devlin, what you did... It was unforgivable... but at the same time, totally..."_Another pause. _"What? 'What you did, it was unforgivable but at the same time, totally forgivable'? That doesn't make sense!"

_"Honey, just read it,"_came my dad's voice.

The severity of the moment suddenly went out the window and even Devlin lost his fear, giving my phone one of those 'Are you serious?' look.

"For crying out loud, Isaac, this doesn't sound like me at all!"

"Becky, honey, you're still on speaker phone."

There was something about the calm, collected tone of my father's voice that sparked my suspicious side. A moment of quiet imagination allowed me to picture my mom with the script in one hand and the phone in the other. My dad was standing beside her, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Fine. But after this, we are going to have a stern_talk."_

"I'll get the paddle and the ball-gag."

I felt Devlin's 'Is he serious?' look even without looking at him.

"Point is, Devlin," my mom continued, "under the very persuasive power of my husband, I have been convinced that you're just very lonely. He apologises for having preyed on your vulnerability and insecurities of being left alone and unaccepted. He told me that wove some ridiculous tale about how he one had Jacob 'drink his milk' when he was a baby while I was away on a competition."

"He what!?" I barked.

"Jacob, not now."

Rejected.

Ouch.

"As a second volley, he told you how he outed my son by kissing him after he got home from school one day, sweaty from track and then proceeded to take my half-delirious son up to bed and lull him to sleep by sucking his dick."

"That didn't happen!" I snapped my gaze towards Devlin, panic rising in my chest. Panic and humiliation. "Seriously! That didn't happen." That was a lie. "Alright, so he outed me by kissing me but he just told my mom to 'get the kit'. He didn't suck my dick!"

"Jacob..."

I growled softly.

"For the last and final shot that had your resistances shatter, he fondled you endlessly while telling you of some fantasy where he was the 'alpha' of the 'Reaper Pack' and had gladly passed the 'mantle' over to my son after said son fucked him crazy for three days and three nights during the lunar cycle. Furthermore, now that you are officially mated to him, to 'initiate' you into the pack, you had to have sex with the omega - himself - and that Chad had done it long ago."

What!?

Where did my dad come up with this stuff!?

He was a scientist for crying out loud! Shouldn't he be spending more time trying to circumvent the laws of nature and pervert the God's work instead of trying to get into the pants of my boyfriend...

...

Scratch that thought.

I gave Dev a sympathetic look. Somehow, I doubted he was hiding behind that billow to keep himself safe from my mom.

"The point is, Devlin, I understand my husband's persuasive powers. I also understand what you have been through. Therefore, though I know this will completely_and_ utterly_bring some form of political shitstorm onto our heads... I've requested Alexiel to draft up adoption papers... Would you like to be a Reaper, Devlin?"_

My jaw dropped.

Devlin dropped the pillow, revealing his fully erect cock.

"What!? You're serious!?" he demanded. "You're going to adopt me!?"

"If you want."_I could hear the amusement in her voice... and that touch of softness that convinced me she really wanted to do this. _"You have always been like a second son to me, Devlin. A lost, callous, brash, cowardly son at times but a son nevertheless. You always spent more time around Jacob and our house than you did in your own so in a way, we grew up with you as you grew up with us. So... I thought we might as well make it official.

"Besides, I think 'Reaper' sounds like a better footballer's name than 'Rooks', don't you?"

It'd also save on the controversy of marriage.

Maybe that was a plausible option... Just 'adopt' my mates.

"What would my mom say...?" Devlin whispered softly.

...

There was a pause...

A very long pause.

A very, very, very long pause.

Uh-oh.

"Devlin... You don't know...?"

Devlin's expression faltered. "Know what...?"

...

"Devlin... Your mother is dead."

Chapter 6.1: Tears for the Fallen

Arcadia Memorial Cemetery

Learning your mother died was probably one of those things you don't need on your conscience just before the first game of the season. Knowing that Devlin parted from his mother's company on such rotten terms and only now finding out that she had died over a year ago made me hesitant to say anything.

We stood over Alicia Calloway Pinsk Rooks' grave. Devlin hadn't brought any flowers. I did but they were cheap and I think one of them had a dead bee in them. Since Dev didn't bring any, I decided to 'accidentally' drop them in the nearest rubbish bin.

My mom had accompanied us. She was the one who told us where to find Alicia's grave, after all. I saw her in the distance on the one hill in the lot, standing underneath a lemon tree. A small smile crawled onto my features.

"Do you need a moment alone?" I asked Dev.

"Please?"

I gently brushed his shoulders and headed up the paved path towards the hill. Large, iron gates marked with the word 'Reaper' adorned the entrance to the private lot. There was only one grave there and it sat directly at the base of the lemon tree.

Some would consider going to a grave with a smile to be creepy - even giggling a little would be considered downright insane - but in this case, it was perfectly acceptable.

After all, the grave was marked as Isaac Reaper's.

During my dad's brief brush with death, my mom had broken down and attempted to break it off, claiming that she was a failure as a superhero if she couldn't save the man she loved. To brighten her spirits, my dad bought the private lot here in Arcadia and had a gravestone marked with 'Here lies Isaac Reaper.'

His epitaph was 'It's not necrophilia if I'm alive'.

That brightened my mom's spirits right up.

As for the lemon tree... In one of my dad's more lucid moments, he planted it there as a two-fold symbol. He once told me that whenever my mom would look at that grave, she'd be forced to see the lemon tree. They made a promise that when he eventually died, she'd cut down that lemon tree - that is if he died before her. He was banking on the fact that when that day came, she'd recall how that tree started as a sapling and she would watch it grow over the years, remembering all the good times they had spent together and just how long they had together. Never forgetting the good times and never letting that turn her future sour.

Furthermore, there was that old saying 'If life gives you lemons, make lemonade'.

Thus, a lemon tree.

My dad could really be quite insightful when he wanted to be.

"Where's dad?"

"Your father is off trying to decipher the true use of the Seal and work out a way to detect it." My mother turned to me, a gentle smile on her features. "He expressed his worry concerning the source of this Seal. Considering how deeply it runs... Well... a lot could change if we don't take the proper steps."

"Dad is worried?" I chuckled softly. "It must be bad."

"So it is..." Her gaze slowly drifted away from me to where Devlin stood quite some distance away. "How's he holding up?"

I followed her gaze. Dev's shoulders were drooping but his fists were clenched. One foot was set in front of the other as if ready to turn away in a huff but his head was bowed and his gaze fixed intently on the grave before him. "I think he's conflicted. He hated his mother. That hate just grew as the years went on. But I think deep down, he really does still love her. It's sort of ingrained in us. There will always be a bond tying us to our parents."

My mother winced. "Lord knows, if your father were here, he'd making an innuendo about 'tying' that 'bond' with you, Jacob."

Yarf...

Thank god he wasn't here or I swear, I would've knocked him out and buried him alive.

"You wouldn't believe the expression that crossed his face when I told him I wanted to adopt Devlin."

An electrical bolt shot down from my spine and worked its way to the tip of my tail, setting every strand of fur on edge. "That was your idea!?" I demanded, gaping at her. "Dad didn't convince you to do it!?"

Her smile gained an amused edge. "I'm somewhat insulted that you'd think your father pulls my strings."

Doesn't he...?

I think I had a baffled look on my face because she rolled her eyes and added, "All the time. Your father doesn't pull my strings all the time."

That kick started my brain again. "You seriously want Dev to be part of the family? This wasn't dad's hormonally-charged attempt at a semi-incestuous relationship? Or a four-man orgy?"

"'Four-man'?"

"Chad."

"Ah. Of course." My mom shook her head. "It was my idea to adopt Devlin. I can see that he truly does love you Jacob but the world today..." She turned her gaze towards the lemon tree. "It isn't fit for a gay man just yet. Devlin has a lot of wounds to heal and I fear that if you two were to get married as along with Chad, it would rain down hell from above. Looking into his past and doing some background checks, I realised that Devlin was truly just very lonely inside. He needed a family. So... considering how his mother is deceased, his biological father is halfway across the world and his stepfather is bouncing from one wife to the other... I decided to bring him into the only real family he's ever had."

Her lopsided smile gave me some encouragement. "Besides, I've always wondered what it'd be like to have twins."

The blush that touched my cheeks was unavoidable. We were sort of like twins in a way.

Wait...

"You did background checks on Devlin?"

My mom raised her paws in innocence. "To my defence, his team did just have two members linked with drug allegations and the Dark Nexus. I had to be safe and sure. You can read the reports if you want, Jacob. They're very clean. Apart from... you know, his family falling apart..."

I glanced over my shoulder at Dev who looked like he was talking to the grave now. A good start. Unless he was talking to himself.

First sign of insanity anyone?

"We're his family now."

Speaking of family.

"Hey mom... no one is meant to be at the lab today, right? Dave is off lecturing and the others should be in other departments. Is it wise to leave dad alone? In fact, is it safe to leave him alone when we're doing something together?"

My mom patted my shoulder encouragingly. "Jacob, your father is a grown man. He can be very eccentric at times but he has common sense."

I think I looked baffled again.

"Some common sense."

My expression didn't change.

"Fine. Minimal common sense."

Still no change.

"Jacob, have some faith in your father. He isn't about to pop out of a grave and claim he's come back from the depths of hell to 'fuck over' all mortals."

Despite her words, we both glanced at my father's mock grave and took three steps away.

"Well..." I began, "remember that time you and I went to the bank when I was twelve to open up a savings account for me? Then he burst in wearing a green costume that had a snake-head design on his crotch and claimed to be the 'supervillain Trouser Snake'?"

My mother's expression dropped. "I think I should go make sure he doesn't cause an explosion of apocalyptic proportions... or mutate himself into some infectious, hormone driven monster... again."

"Good luck."

The number of times my mother had to wear spandex and stop my own father because he had turned himself into a menace against on Mortaelis was enough to make a supercomputer weep. I watched he go and remembered she had driven us here.

I really needed to get my own car.

Thankfully, there was a taxi service outside the cemetery.

I told Dev briefly that I'd be waiting for him at one of the taxis and he gave a brief nod of recognition before going straight back to talking to his mother. His words sounded apologetic. Nothing for me to eavesdrop on, however. If and when he was ready, he'd tell me everything.

There was one cab left. More than I expected from a cemetery, really.

I knocked on the window and the kangaroo driver nodded, beckoning me inside. I jumped into the rear seats.

"Where ya of to, mate?"

"Wolfehome Apartments," I answered and quickly gave him my address. "But we've got another guy coming."

It only took about a minute before the front passenger seat sprung open.

"Dev -"

The new guy was not Dev.

He raised his arm, levelling a gun at the temple of driver.

PTEW!

Brains, blood and fragments of bone splattered against the driver side window, the bullet shooting right through the driver's head and breaking he window apart.

"What the -!?"

The barrel of a silenced 9mm handgun was suddenly levelled between my eyes.

"Hey there, Reaper."

"Cliff," I growled, baring my fangs.

A cocky smirk crawled onto his muzzle. "Awww, what's wrong? That's no way talk to an old flame."

"One could argue shooting an innocent taxi driver in the head and levelling a gun is no way to treat an old flame either."

"Fair enough." Cliff actually lowered the gun. I didn't miss that it was pointed at my crotch though. "So how have you been, Jake? I heard from the grapevine that you're going to attend tomorrows big starting match for the Thunder Phoenixes."

"Where did you hear that?"

"I've got my sources," Cliff smirked. "I also hear that you may know something about that drug deal that went south at that very stadium."

"I don't -"

"Don't play dumb with me, Jake." The coyote prodded my crotch with the gun. "I know you're up to something. But here's the thing, I want you to do something for me."

I flattened my ears against my skull, slowly syphoning my gravitational powers around me. Just little, subtle things like wiggling the fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror or gently applying pressure against Cliff's gun to move it_away_ from my crotch. The more power I stored, greater chance I would survive a shot to the head. My regeneration didn't work if I didn't have any power left behind.

Alternatively, I could just tear Cliff to ribbons...

But if he wanted me dead, he would've killed me straight away... Hell, he could've just shot me without having to shoot the driver. He wanted something. Something that he was desperate enough to get that he was willing to liaise with me.

"What could you possibly want from me?" I growled.

"Simple really. Tomorrow, the Vipers will drop off a package in locker 16 in the Thunder Phoenix's locker rooms. Whoever is meant to pick it up has already been informed it's there. They're scheduled to retrieve it at halftime. Any later, and we'll take it back. Any earlier and it won't be there. It has to be exactly at halftime."

"Why are you telling me?" I growled.

His grin was far from comforting. "Because at halftime, using your boyfriend's influence, I want you to go in there, see who picks it up then take the package from him and give it back to me."

"What!? That doesn't make any sense!"

Cliff just looked endlessly amused. "Doesn't it? Give it a second to sink in, Jake. You'll get it."

Why would he set up a pick up only to take the package back...? Never mind the fact that it's a double-cross. It would just...

"You're planning to expose whoever is meant to pick it up..." I whispered.

"Atta boy." Cliff took the gun off my crotch. "The Vipers recently... reconciled with the rotten backstabber that blew up one of our own and exposed two of our undercover agents. But let's face it, we don't let grudges go that easily.

"The plan is really quite simple. All you have to do is keep an eye on the locker and see who picks up the package. When you uncover them, get them to open it in front of everyone there and reveal it to be some illegal performance enhancing drugs. Afterwards, in the scuffle that is sure to follow, take the package and bring it back to me. Nothing a super-powered individual like you can't handle, surely."

Now I saw it... The drugs were just bait. Expensive bait but bait nonetheless. They wanted it back in the end.

"But if there's no evidence, the police can't convict."

Cliff threw his head back, letting out a dark laugh. "Oh, Jake. You honestly think we'd let the_police_ handle the situation?" His expression turned dark. "No. Once we find out who it is, we'll drag him down to the Dark Nexus kicking and screaming. If he's lucky, he'll die."

Yarf...

"And as for added insurance," Cliff continued, his voice becoming jovial and friendly once more, "locker 16 is your boyfriend's locker."

...

"What!?"

Cliff didn't laugh. Just grinned menacingly. "That's right, Jacob. If no one picks up the package, your boyfriend will be charged."

"But what happens if Dev picked it up before the guy that's meant to! He'll get charged!"

"Then you better make sure he doesn't open it."

"You asshole!"

That gun was pressed between my eyes again but I didn't back down. I was seriously on the verge of slaughtering him there and then.

"Now, now. No need to get snippy. This is just business, Jacob. When we're done here, I swear I'll get out of your fur. But word of warning..." Cliff lowered the gun and pushed open the cab door. "If you don't manage to get me the package..." He grinned innocently. "Well... It's a large crowd. Will you be able to spot the sniper taking a bead on your boyfriend?"

Crap...

Cliff stepped out of the taxi, taking his gun with him. "Oh and try to enjoy the game. The Thunder Phoenixes are set to win, you know. Whether they can do it with or without their star quarterback... Well... That's another matter entirely."

Chapter 6.2: You just Lost the Game

Shellington Football Stadium

Explaining to Dev why there was a dead taxi driver ready to drive us home and that he was essentially being used as 'insurance' to guarantee my cooperation in a drug deal was... difficult.

So I let it down to him easily.

By not telling him at all.

I quickly teleported the body away and when I came back, I realised that the cab was still there. I flashed it to the bottom of the nearest lake and stood idly by at the cemetery pretending a cab had never arrived. Dev seemed a little disappointed that we couldn't leave immediately but I think he appreciated it in the end.

After I dropped him back off at his apartment, I filed a report to the police - keeping myself anonymous, of course. I made a note to grab the reports on the guy after the investigation was done and leave the poor fellow's family with some compensation. Maybe I could offer them Cliff's balls encrusted in gold. Better yet, his cock stuffed with diamonds.

Yeah... that should about do it.

I didn't tell Dev or my mom or anyone for that matter about my encounter with Cliff. While he didn't specify it, I was sure that if he so much as saw me acting alongside with someone else, he'd take that shot that would deprive me of my mate.

Still, I had to take necessary precautions.

"You bought a car just to drive me to the game!?"

I leaned casually against the door of my sleek, silver convertible. About three months ago, I had a black one but that was too inconspicuous. So I went with something that blended in a little more. Besides, anti-laser-slash-plasma paint only came in silver.

"Yesterday's cemetery debacle was an epiphany for me," I lied. "The Gods were telling me, 'Jacob, you need a car'."

"Sweet ride too," Dev laughed, tossing his massive sports bag into the rear of seats. "Never thought convertibles could have such big trunk spaces."

That's because they normally don't come with hidden, mounted turrets.

"It's custom made."

If you ever wanted to have a tank converted into a working convertible, just go to my dad's friend, Dave. He's seriously the best with machines. I heard he was making forays into the field of working nano-technology. It always went over my head but hey, if he can make me a car in less than a day with quad-trioscositite-core engines, supersonic shielding for those breakneck speeds, a portable cloaking device and could make waffles, then I really didn't care.

Dev jumped into the passenger seat and buckled up. There was a bright, cheerful grin on his face. Whatever he grudge he held against his mother must've been settled yesterday because he seemed pumped up and ready to go.

I noticed that he was also wearing something around his neck.

"Hey... What's that?" I asked, pointing at the small, golden medallion he wore.

Dev fingered the coin-sized medallion that was linked to a silver chain. It reminded me of the Celestial Key that I wore around my neck. Speaking of which, I hadn't taken Dev to that amazing inter-dimensional club of the gods yet. If he won - and I succeeded in preventing his assassination - we were going to go there to celebrate.

In fact... that was probably a good way of breaking the news to Chad as well.

"This?" he answered, a soft smile on his features. "It's a gift I got from my mom when she remarried... She said it'd bring me good luck. I haven't worn it since I cut her off from my life but..."

He trailed off.

"I understand," I answered, patting his thigh. "Come on. We've still got to pick up Chad."

It was a good thing that we left plenty of leeway before actually heading off to the game. Being the first game of the season for Shellington, the entire city had football fever. Getting to Chad's studio on the outskirts of town was easy enough. Everyone was going to the city. Getting back in... that was a trial unto itself.

It took us over an hour to get to the stadium.

Thankfully we have VIP parking.

My mom had her ticket and she was probably already at the Skybox. I noticed her car as we parked in the deep, underground parking reserved just for the players and their guests.

Dev leapt out of my car as soon as I hit the handbrake. He snatched up his gear and flashed us a grin over his shoulder. "Gotta go guys! Wish me luck!"

"Score a touchdown for me, will you?" Chad said, waving cheerily.

A smirk crawled onto Dev's features as he returned to the car and let his nose hover just over Chad's. "I think that'll cost a little extra, don't you?"

My eyes boggled. Chad reached over, cupped Dev's cheek gently and pulled the bigger wolf towards him. Their muzzles locked, their eyes shut, lost in their own worlds of passion. My paw was already down my pants by the time they pulled apart slowly.

Dev was breathing heavily and I think he was seriously contemplating some pre-game sex.

"You better win," Chad warned, his voice mockingly threatening. "If you don't, I swear tonight's sex will have you on the bottom."

That's right... Dev's cherry hadn't been popped yet.

The big wolf whimpered softly before he straightened, his big back straining against his shirt. "Not sure if I want to win now..." he answered with a nervous chuckle.

"Get going, you big lug," Chad sniggered, swatting his rear. "You'll be late."

Dev's laughter carried well through the car park as he ran to the locker rooms. Chad turned his beautiful, hazelnut eyes towards me, bright with mirth and affection. When my lungs started to burn, I realised he had stolen my breath yet again. I dared to breathe. If the Gods ever blessed anyone with eternal beauty, it had to be Chad.

"Is your brain working yet?" he asked, inclining his perfect grin to the side. "Or did everything go to your head?"

"Huh?"

He leaned over and pointing at my crotch - where my paw was still deeply buried. "Your head."

"Oh..." I reluctantly pulled my paw away and gave him a sheepish grin. "You have that effect on me. When you and Dev are snogging... It's worse."

"'Snogging', eh?" he repeated. "Since when did you become Crescentish?"

"I heard the Crescentish accent is rather sexy," I replied, putting on my best accent from the Crescent Isles. A simple matter of accentuating all the vowels and adding a bit of dry wit every now and then. Oh, and it involved adding 'I say' or 'Quite' at the end of every sentence. I waggled my eyebrows at him just for emphasis.

"And you are quite sexy already, Mr. West." I took his paw and kissed it lightly. "It'd be my pleasure to fuck your brains out tonight."

Chad laughed and pulled his paw away, using it to pat me. "We better not stay up too late then or get too wild. After all, Linda did invite you for that sex scene tomorrow."

There went my libido.

What's worse than being denied a rightful night of rambunctious, raunchy sex?

Having to watch your mate have sex with a girl.

"I swear, she's got a bear trap down there," I grumbled, unbuckling my seatbelt. "It's probably booby trapped as well. Not just her boobs either. Hell, I bet those are really big, intricate pressure pads. Ever noticed how in all those shows, if you so much as touch one of those things you get slapped or kicked in the groin? Traps! Booby traps!"

I leaped out of my car and felt my mate's amused stare burning into the back of my head. Resisting for three seconds was all I could stand before I spun around and had to face those glimmering brown eyes head on.

"Do you even listen to the things you say sometimes?" he laughed.

"You should listen to the things I think."

"Oh?" Chad jumped out of the car as well. I noted with some mild amusement how none of us actually used the doors. "What're you thinking now?"

Being trapped between a rock and a hard place. Not that kind of hard place though that would certainly be preferable to my current situation. Either Dev got sniped or I betrayed my mom and invoked her unholy Motherly Rage of the Apocalypse by giving Cliff what he wanted and in essence giving him leverage against me for future endeavours.

Damn Cliff... I bet he was sitting in an egg chair, stroking a cat and laughing maniacally while pressing his pinky against the corner of his muzzle... He had a monocle too...

"Jake? Your thoughts?"

"Cock. Cock. Cock. Football. Football cock. Balls."

Chad sniggered. "I thought as much." He beamed at me and gripped my paws in his. "Listen... After the game, I want to show you and Dev something. Something that I swear will make up for the fact that I'm going have sex in front of you with Linda. Mind you, it's all contrived but it still doesn't make up for what's going to happen."

That warranted a raised eyebrow. "Oh? The big bad secret of Chadstone West?" I asked, following the signs pointing me to the Skybox. "What? Do you have a brother?"

"No..."

"Evil twin."

"No, Jacob..."

"You worship a Flying Pie Man in the Sky that has his own holiday aptly named 'Pai-Arh-Squared' which involves the baking of countless flavoured pies, going out into public streets and hurling said pies at the nearest biological lifeform?"

"Jacob, just stop..."

"Oh! I know!"

"This should be good..."

"You're actually a lonely alien prince from a far-off galaxy whose race was wiped out due to a nightmarish cataclysm and you have the undeniable urge to reproduce. However, because no one else of your race is left, your only chance to restart your noble species is to fuck the nearest male and convert them with your magical semen, giving them angelic, alluring appearances and transforming their DNA to match yours."

"Uh..."

"No?" I asked. "What then? You're a werewolf?"

Please be a werewolf.

"Jacob. No. Stop guessing. You're starting to scare me with your jokes -" Chad froze in mid step. "Oh crap... You're joking." He bolted up the stairs and barred my path. "Jacob... What's going to happen? What's going on?" His voice was rising into a panic.

My lips moved... but no sound came out.

I clenched my fist tightly.

Would it be fair to worry Chad or involve him in this? What if he put himself at risk and he got shot instead? I couldn't live with myself if that happened...

"Chad... Just do me a favour. Take my car. Go back home."

"What!?"

"Do it!" I barked. I didn't have the strength to look in his eyes. "Chad... Someone is going to get hurt by halftime. I don't want it to be you."

"But you're willing to let it be Dev?"

My eyes shut because my head instinctively turned to face him. "Dev doesn't know... And he's the one who's directly in the line of fire. I'm the one that can get him out of it."

"And why not me!?"

My eyes snapped open. "What can a move star do!?"

"What can a world-famous author do!?" Chad snapped back.

I seized the railings along the stairwell in my gravitational grip. They flew off the concrete and twisted themselves into long, metallic letters.

'This' hovered above my head.

Chad staggered back in shock. "My god Jake... You're a super...?" His eyes drifted back to me. "You never told me...?"

I slammed the railings back into the wall, embedding them there as sharp, metallic spears. I stormed past a stunned Chad, stopping five steps ahead of him. "I never told you because I never wanted you to enter my world. Dev stepped in... and now he's going to get killed unless I follow my ex-boyfriend's instructions and find the identity of the guy that set off an explosive in this very stadium and deliver the drugs that were planted in Dev's locker."

I finally opened my eyes and glanced over my shoulder. I only saw the back of Chad's head. "Don't walk through that doors, Chad. I still love you... but just... please..."

I couldn't finish that sentence.

Every second I spent in his company was another dagger to the heart. I found the strength to pull away and head straight towards the Skybox. No tears manifested themselves. Probably because my claws were digging into my palms.

I flashed my VIP ticket to the guards and I stepped into the Skybox, a perfect view of the field sprayed out before us. My mother was already there as well as some other superheroes who came in all suited up. There were some wealthy business executives as well but I ignored them all.

I stepped up to my mom who was standing at the floor-to-ceiling windows that provided an unobstructed view of the field.

"Where's Chad?"

"The movie called him. He had to run."

"He took your new car?"

"Yeah."

She smiled softly. "I heard Dave made it for you." There was a moment's pause. "Is it safe to assume you've got a thermonuclear weapon under the hood?"

"Sorry mom. Nothing that extravagant." I grinned sadistically. "I've got a collection of rusty knives though."

She rolled her eyes and patted my back, particularly the base of my spine where my handguns were secreted. Her paw slid around to my waist where my combat knife was likewise concealed.

"I'll take the Atlas Titans' locker room at halftime. You want to take the Thunder Phoenixes?"

"Sounds like a plan."

I couldn't concentrate on the game. I was never into football anyway so I had no idea what was really going on. All I knew is that Dev was tearing up the field and he scored a touchdown once. I think the scores were in his favour but my mind was constantly at the fact I may have just broken up with Chad... and I ran the risk of getting Dev killed.

Wow... If everything went south, I could just end up without the two men I loved.

Was it worth it though?

In fact, what was the plan?

Was I going to cooperate with Cliff or screw him over? Maybe after I discovered who picked up the package, I could meet up with Cliff and open a black hole deep in his gut so that he was slowly and very agonisingly atomised. Better yet, I could try ripping him inside out.

That would be fun to watch.

I cheered alongside with everyone when the Thunder Phoenixes made another touchdown but it was hollow. When I saw Dev wave and point at the Skybox and the big television showed both myself and my mom, I smiled brightly and waved. Nothing genuine about it. My heart didn't even skip when Dev ducked out for a second and came back out with a new jersey saying 'Reaper' instead of 'Rooks'.

The announcers officially confirmed that Dev had files papers to have his name changed and the crowd went wild. I thanked my mom for having had that jersey made for him. I smiled when she hugged me.

All of that felt dull as if I was watching everything through a monochrome filter and there was a lead barrier between my heart and all the emotions trying to get in. A dull, unfeeling security guard was lining them all up through a tiny metal detector, forcing them one by one to step onto the electric chair to be executed and dumping the bodies in some growing pile where I would discover them later and cry for their loss.

Then halftime hit.

I got up robotically and headed straight down to the Thunder Phoenix's locker rooms while my mom snuck her way to the Atlas Titan's. I leaned beside the door just waiting...

The thunderous roar of heavy feet told me that it was almost time...

I took a deep breath, put on my best, brightest smile and put my 'joke-machine' in sleep mode.

"Jake!"

Dev came charging straight towards me, scooped me up in his arms and swung me around playfully as his teammates laughed and poured into the locker rooms. He set me down and I was still laughing, mechanically but I think it sounded convincing.

"You like the new gear?" he asked, showing me his back. "Your mom made it just for the game!"

"I bet the opposing team is pissing their pants now that they're up against a 'Reaper' instead of a 'Rooks'."

"Hell yeah!" he cried, pumping his fists into the air. I could smell the heavy blast of body odour rush from his sweaty body. "Did you see me out there!? I was on a roll!"

With the rest of the team already in the locker rooms, I had lost some time. Someone could've picked up the package so I had to hurry Dev along.

"Well there's still another half, champ. Come on, let's get you all showered so you're all fresh and ready to bring home the gold!"

It scared me just how convincing I could sound.

Dev obviously bought it as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into the locker rooms.

"Hey boys!" he shouted proudly, slapping his shoulder. "Say hi to me new brother! This is Jake Reaper!"

"Reaper!?" several people repeated. Many made mentions of my books and some even asked if they could get an autograph for their 'cousin' but Captain Bosch kicked them back into gear... and slipped me a copy of Concrete Storm.

I signed it for him and followed Dev to his locker.

Locker 16.

He opened it -

"Hey... What's this?"

Dev took out a big, brown package. Unmarked and taped together loosely. It wouldn't be hard at all to open it.

"Hey! Which one of you wiseguys put this in here?" he demanded. "I swear, if this is another pile of magazines..."

He lifted it up for all to see.

I waited for someone to pick it up... Someone to claim that it was their idea and that they were sorry before taking it off his paws.

Someone...

Anyone.

...

No one...?

"Gods, I wonder what it is this time..." Dev muttered.

No!

I panicked.

If he opened it and the substance came out... Everyone would know. Dev's career would be ruined. He'd be thrown in jail. The murder and the drug deal would all be blamed on him. It was like a reverse of Cliff's situation. Instead of Dev being used as an idol to help elevate the team for their 'tolerance', he was going to be used as a scapegoat to save the team.

I couldn't let that happen.

I just...

I just acted.

"Jake! What the -!?"

I was out the door with the package in my paws before anyone could stop me. My brain was working in overdrive. My best hope was to lie to Cliff. Tell him that... Tell him that Bosch picked it up. Then, as he leaves, I'd end it there and then. Knock him unconscious or something so that he could be arrested. I'd use his own trap against him.

That sounded good.

Only I didn't count on one thing...

"Jake! Stop!"

Dev chasing after me...

"Dev!?" I cried. "Stay back!" I thought fast. "It's a bomb!"

"What!? Then why are you taking it -"

... straight into the middle of the field.

Yarf!

The blinding sun sent stars flashing before my eyes. Colourful floats danced before me as blaring, loud music mixed with the rolling cries of vendors filled the stadium. The announcers were describing each of the floats in excruciating detail.

Then they noticed me...

... and Dev.

No! Don't tell them I'm here!

I didn't even know where Cliff was!

A realisation hit me... hard.

Cliff never expected me to give him the package. He never wanted me to meet up with him or complete his goddamn drug run. This was all an attempt to ruin everything I cared about! He was going to kill Dev whether I did him a favour or not!

I hastily tore at the package...

A timer was ticking down from 7...

Shit! It was a bomb!

That's why he said I had to catch the guy exactly on halftime!

It was timed to coincide with my discovery!

I thought fast...

"Dev! Throw it high!" I cried.

6

I threw the bomb and he caught it easily.

He saw the timer.

5

"Holy shit! It is a bomb!"

4

"Throw it!"

3

Dev snapped his arm back, aiming for the sky.

2

God, I hope it wasn't a high yield bomb...

He threw it, putting his entire weight behind it.

1...

The bomb soared...

...0...

Boom.

...

Confetti and streamers erupted from the package...

What the...?

BAM!

I froze...

"JAKE!"

I think I hit the ground...

Actually, I'm pretty sure I hit the ground.

The world was tilted to the side and fresh grass brushed up against my cheek. My whole body felt numb... but I could still feel the blood dripping out of the hole on my forehead, running down the side of my muzzle and soaking into the soil.

I tried desperately to grab something with my powers... But I couldn't...

The colours in my vision were all starting to fade... everything turned grey and began to blur into one, dark mess. Dull shouting met my ears... I think it was Dev but I couldn't hear him anymore...

I couldn't... I couldn't think...

Damn...

They got me.