Part VIII Those skilled in war subdue the enemies army without battle. They
capture the enemies cities without assaulting them and overthrow his
state without protracted operations...... Thus their troops are not worn
out and their gains will be complete. This is the art of offensive
strategy.
.........Therefore, we have no choice but to cede three American cities
to the superior forces of the Demon invaders, in the expectation that
this will save countless lives and protect as many of our civilians as
possible from a terrible fate. From Midnight, Eastern Standard Time, The
U.S. constitution no longer holds sway in Delaware and New York. The new
overlord of Washington, Kulain nh'Amara guarantees all U.S. citizens
civil rights, in a treaty we have established.......
Mulder and Alex huddled together on their couch, staring at the t.v.
screen. The world as they, and every other U.S. citizen knew it was
coming to an end. They were no longer sitting in a democracy, but in a
dictatorship. Run by their beautiful, sensuous and duplicitous lover.
It felt strange, to be the only protection between humanity and the
whims of a demon. Especially one who had just forfeited their trust so
completely, by his actions of the previous night. Alex buried his head
in Mulder's shoulder, needing to be loved and soothed, for once in his
semi-independent existence. Fox Mulder unhesitatingly wrapped his arms
round the younger man.
"Fox........He's got us exactly where he wants us! Damn him to hell!"
Alex was caught between sobbing misery and rage.
"I love you Alex. I'll always be here for you. You know that!" He held
Alex and the two of them watched the pictures of New York on the t.v.
The appearance of the demons and the carnage that followed. Red fire
exploded out of the ground in a huge arc, lashing across the city,
scattering what seemed like sparks in its path. Then a column of fire
erupted from the U.N. Building bomb site, cylindrical, shimmering as
reality twisted around it. Impossible energies levelled the site down
to the bedrock around the cylinder, and it resolved itself into a
structure. A huge glowing sapphire tower, that dominated the city, and
made both men recoil with an instinctive terror and loathing. Mulder
realised almost immediately that the tower must be huge, if he could see
it at such a distance on the cameras that watched from across the water.
Like a lighthouse, a beam of light flashed out from it, not saving, but
annihilating any humans who ventured too close to it. Not that many
dared, after the few rebel army squads and cops had been summarily dealt
with. A sudden movement behind them startled both, it was Kulain.
"What is it? What's happening to the city?" Alex whispered, his eyes
wide.
"The end of your world!" Kulain said, and his two partners heard the
anger he had tried to hide. "Or perhaps, the loss of humanity's
innocence!" Both men were watching him, needing reassurance. He sounded
so desolate.
"The demons have come to lay claim to your world. Not even I can stop
it, though I have always known it would come to this. Three towers will
appear tonight, and the people living close to them will learn how to
live under our rule. Or die. The Blue tower in Delaware, the Red in New
York, and the Green.....
The glowing sparks in the distance on the screen, resolved themselves
into demons, huge, ravening, blue eyed monsters that tore into human
victims in joy, then stopped eventually to gorge themselves on blood, as
one of the braver or more foolhardy cameramen broadcast from the city. A
cacophony of screams began in the distance, and gunshots trailed off
into the darkness. Howling rent the night air, and loping wolf-like
demon soldiers loped past, carrying the more delectable morsels,
struggling uselessly, back to their masters.
Mulder surged up from his seat, desperate to do something. Kulain's grip
tightened painfully on his wrist. "Fox, no! You can do nothing. This is
the price your government has agreed to pay, to safeguard the rest of
its people. Two other cities alone will be taken, and the demons will
stay penned within them."
"And are you going to do that to Washington?" Alex whispered.
"Well, the two of you hardly constitute an army, though you can be quite
rowdy when you're drunk, Alex!" Kulain smiled coolly, ignoring the sound
of screams from the t.v. in the background.
"I hate you! For this, and for what you did yesterday. How could you
want someone else after all we've sacrificed for you?" Surprisingly, it
wasn't the volatile Alex that exploded in anguish, it was Mulder. The
agent grabbed something, anything, from the coffee table next to him and
flung it at Kulain. It was a long empty mug that had been abandoned,
when they had seen what was happening on their t.v. screens.
Kulain , with reflexes honed to perfection, caught the missile deftly in
one hand. His eyes darkened with anger, and before Mulder could move, he
was held firmly by the throat, and he felt the effortless strength of
the demon. Talons scraped lightly on his skin. He heard Alex gasp in
horror, and felt the fingers tighten imperceptibly on his throat. Green
eyes burned in fury, so close to his.
"Do you think I have made no sacrifices, Fox Mulder! My own kind call me
weak and despise me, and it is only a matter of time before one of them
challenges me! And all because I dared look at a human as more than
prey! Every minute of every day on this world, I must fight my
instincts. Because I dreamed of something better..... If I choose to
give in to a momentary amusement, it hardly compares with what the rest
of my species considers recreation."
Mulder was suddenly free, and sank, gasping onto the couch. As if to
underline his point, the unknown cameraman on the flickering screen
abruptly howled in agony, as he was finally pulled from his vantage
point. The screen became spattered with something, and the tilted
picture became tinged with red, even as dawn began to break.
Kulain turned to leave, moving in rapid strides to the door, as if he
couldn't wait to be free of them. Them he turned, and stared at the two
of them, the anger in his eyes abruptly smoothed away by some other
emotion. "I left you a present in my room. Do what you want with it.
Come to me in three days if you want to talk, it'll be obvious where I
am by then." His footsteps died away, as he left.
"In a way, he's right," Alex said quietly. "He is kind of restrained,
for a demon."
The two men wearily went upstairs, after the news broadcast had ended.
With the approach of dawn, the activity in the two demon controlled
cities had died down considerably, although sporadic screams and gunfire
could be heard. It was a good time to just go to bed and hold each other
for the next few hours. At the top of the stairs, Mulder hesitated for a
moment, then unwound his arm from round Alex's waist and opened the door
to Kulain's big bedroom. He gasped aloud, and a curious Alex glanced
round the door with him.
The young man lying in Kulain's bed was the same one they had seen him
with yesterday. He lay on his back, one hand resting negligently above
his head, deeply asleep. His naked body was bared to the waist, and he
was smiling slightly, full lips parted, as if his dreams were pleasant.
As they watched, Sean moved a little in his sleep, and the delicate play
of muscles across his skin was revealed.
"Oh fuck!" Alex swore. "What the hell are we supposed to do now. I want
nothing to do with that two timing bastard's bed-warmer!"
Mulder gripped his shoulder. "It's alright Alex. I'll get rid of him.
You go and get some rest."
He walked over to the bed, reached out and shook the younger man's
shoulder. "Hey! You've got to leave now!"
Sean moaned. Someone was calling him, touching him. The memory of
Kulain's hands across his skin, the taste of him.... He struggled
through layers of sleep, into drowsy arousal, and reached out to grab at
the hand that was on his shoulder, bringing it to his mouth and sucking
on the fingertips, tasting the lingering chemicals on Mulder's skin,
absorbing the traces of Mulder's pheromones.
Mulder felt the young man wake, then he blushed crimson, as Sean took
two forefingers into his beautiful mouth.
Well, I can understand why Kulain found him attractive! He always did
like the direct approach!
"Let go!" Mulder pushed at Sean. With a whimpering moan of protest, Sean
clutched at him, as Mulder tried to pull away. The younger man wanted
this closeness, the haunting familiarity of those fingers across his
skin. He pulled hard at Mulder's shirt, and the unexpected motion made
the agent overbalance. He fell, and ended up sprawled over Sean, who
gave a yelp and tried, unsuccessfully to sit up.
The experience of having Fox Mulder suddenly land on him woke Sean up
completely. He abruptly realised that he was lying in a strange bed,
with an only vaguely familiar man, with his hand between Sean's teeth.
Enough was enough. He bit down hard, and Mulder screamed in pain,
pulling his hand back.
"Who the hell are you?" Sean demanded of the body on top of him. "Where
am I? How did I get here?" He aimed a low and dirty blow at the dark
haired man's side. The man gasped, then his eyes flared green, like
Kulain's. Then Mulder was pinning his arms down, astride him, furious.
And the hands that held Sean shifted to taloned long boned fingers,
pupils narrowing to slits.
Sean lay still, transfixed, suddenly too scared to move.
Mulder was too hyper after the night's events to stay in control of his
demon instincts. He felt long controlled reflexes and feelings overwhelm
him.
This one had tried to take Kulain away from him. He would soon teach
this one to regret his presumption. This one would be his!
A predatory smile crossed Mulder's face, then he leaned down and slowly,
deliberately, drew in air in a long breath, sampling Sean's scent,
enjoying the smell of his fear and the traces of desire that still
lingered there. With a growl, he brutally kissed Sean, forcing the lush
mouth open, and tasting him hungrily. Mulder began to pull his clothes
off, flinging them away. He made a grab for Sean's shoulders and
deliberately pulled the human against him, ignoring the little sob the
man made. Mulder kissed his prey again, and felt the human moan, as
Mulder's demon enhanced body pressed close to him. There was that
delicious scent of arousal coming from Mulder's body, the one that had
so bound him to Kulain earlier. Sean began to react, involuntarily, to
the powerful predator who was intent on taking possession of him.
Instinct made him lie back on the bed, spreading his legs and bracing
his body for penetration.
This was definitely getting out of hand. That was Mulder's last
coherent thought, before the demon inside him took full control.
The prey offered itself, as was natural. This was what they were both
designed for. Mulder was distantly aware of the human's fear and desire.
He could smell the want that Sean felt, the hot fluids seeping from
the tip of Sean's erect cock as he began to rub himself against Mulder.
He caught the human's thighs and forced them roughly further apart,
lifting the human effortlessly. He was so hard himself now, that he
could barely hold back from ramming himself into the human's tightness.
A last fragment of humanity made him pause, pull the lubricant out from
the bedside table, and smear it on his hands, before he pushed his
fingers inside Sean, preparing him for his entrance. The human began to
writhe against him helplessly, his hands clutching convulsively at
Mulder, his breath coming in small sobs of lust.
It was time.
Mulder pushed his way inside Sean, glorying in the virgin tightness. He
knew Kulain had never been there. This one was totally his. The
predatory instinct that was in play between demons could detect nothing
of Kulain's presence within this human. The delicious, arousing scent of
him was untainted by anything demon. The thought of that sent a new rush
of blood to Mulder's cock, and he began to move inside Sean, even as the
human wrapped his legs around his possessor, in the ultimate surrender,
yielding himself totally to Mulder. He slammed into Sean, again and
again, the human arching up to meet him, until Sean began to scream in
glorious orgasmic pleasure. The two of them lost in each other,
oblivious to anything except the movement of their bodies together. He
felt the tension gather inside him, building to unbearable sweetness.
His. His. HIS
Sean had never dreamed of anything like this. He was out of control,
unable to stop his body from reacting to the other man, from the first
moment he had been kissed. The same incredible reaction as he felt in
Kulain's presence, and as impossible to command. He would do whatever
Mulder demanded of him. And when he first felt the other man's penis
enter him, he was lost. There had never been anything so good, so right,
so in tune with what his body was telling him. The initial pain was
spiralling into a wild tornado of fire and heat, setting him ablaze.
More passion than he had ever known. He had never felt so good Green
glowing eyes, alight with hunger for him, gazing into his face with a
mixture of lust and unrestrained craving. He answered the tide of lust
as best he could, knowing instinctively, that it would take every ounce
of strength and wantonness he possessed to satisfy this man's demands.
Alex had waited for Mulder for at least twenty minutes, before he
decided to wander tiredly downstairs and find Mulder. Surely his lover
couldn't have come across any problems evicting that young fool from the
house. He shouted Mulder's name down the stairwell, as he went, and
surprisingly, there was no reply.
Then he heard the unmistakable sounds coming from Kulain's room. His
first thought was that perhaps Kulain was back. His mind instinctively
tried to shy away from the truth. Then he found himself level with the
open bedroom door, and though he didn't want to, he made himself look
in.
Mulder was in bed with the young man Kulain had picked up. Alex didn't
want to watch, but found himself rooted to the spot, staring in terrible
fascination, at Mulder, as he thrust powerfully into Sean's body. It
wasn't just that Mulder was uncaring that Alex might see. He was
shifted for sex. Something they had only ever tried between
themselves. So dangerous that they always ended up bruised and sore
afterwards, even with the demon blood in them making them so resilient
to injury. The sex he was witnessing was rapidly coming to a climax. The
younger man screamed wildly, his voice carrying a note of ecstasy. as he
jerked uncontrollably in orgasm. With an inhuman growl, Mulder came,
pumping the younger man beneath him full of his semen. Demon claws
brutally scored the human's back, and Alex watched in disbelief as
Mulder's head reared up and he bit deep into the fleshy part of Sean's
shoulder, shaking his head like a lion gripping its captive quarry.
Whatever the spell was that had made Sean cooperate so enthusiastically
with Mulder was broken. He screamed in sudden agony, and Alex found
himself looking into terrified utterly human eyes, that begged him for
help. With a furious curse, Alex grabbed Mulder's shoulder, wrenching
him away from the younger man.
"What the hell are you doing Fox? You can't do that! You'll hurt him!"
Glowing green eyes glared into his, nothing recognisable in them.
"Mine! He's mine! Get away!" Mulder's claws swung at Alex, and only his
own fast reflexes saved him from the inhuman fury of the blow. Whatever
control Mulder had retained over his demon blood had disappeared, and he
launched himself off the bed towards Alex in reflex. His own momentum
was his undoing. As he flew at Alex, the younger man stepped aside and
let Mulder rush headlong into a poised fist, that hit his jaw in a
perfect knockout blow. For an instant, shock and chagrin were reflected
in his partner's face, then Mulder dropped like a stone, unconscious at
Alex's feet. A few minutes was all it took to find some demon restraints
and cuff Mulder to the bed. Then Alex turned his attention to the
hapless young man sprawled on the floor beside him.
Sean's face was tear streaked and he looked utterly bewildered. Blood
trickled slowly down his lacerated back and shoulder. He felt as though
he was waking from a bad dream, only to find it had been real. He
couldn't even remember coming to this house.
He had really let the stranger take him. Had wanted it with every
fibre of his being. And his lover hadn't been entirely human. If the
other man hadn't helped him, what would have happened to him?
Lost and desperately scared, he didn't fight when Alex gently led him
away, and began to clean up his injured body. His mind couldn't quite
accept what had happened to him. His own loss of control had utterly
scared him. Reaction set in, and he huddled, shivering on the couch, not
resisting Alex when he pressed something hot and sweet, probably tea,
into his cold hands.
This was a hell of a mess, and no mistake. The look on Mulder's face
when he had tried to stop his lover had been so foreign, so inhuman. No
compassion at all. Just a possessive lust that scared Alex more than
anything else had that week. They both knew the dangers of losing
control, had discussed it often enough, but seeing Mulder like that.
Alex closed his eyes, tried not to think about those two beautiful
bodies moving together. For the briefest moment when he had seen them,
he had felt his own dark side stir, though whether in jealousy at Mulder
or Sean, he didn't know.
Sean huddled, unmoving, where Alex had left him, staring dully into
space. His mind just kept cycling over and over. Images of Mulder above
him, of Mulder fighting Krycek, of the enigmatic Kulain, who was
responsible for his present situation. He would have limped back to the
embassy, or called the police, but what could he tell them? He wasn't a
prisoner, had taken part in the sex enthusiastically. And besides, his
job would be on the line if his less than sympathetic employers found
out. Too easy to blackmail, that's what his file would say. No security
jobs for him. Sexually ambiguous bodyguards were a little thin on the
ground. His head was beginning to ache as much as that place between his
legs.
Alex sat beside Mulder on the bed, staring sadly at him. He could tell
from the rhythm of Mulder's breathing that he wasn't asleep.
"I know you can hear me Fox. Talk to me, damn it! How the hell did you
get into this mess?" Alex's voice echoed his indignant fury.
Mulder's eyes flickered open. Brown, once again. He shivered slightly,
and shrugged in bafflement.
"I'm damned if I know. Alex....."
"Shut up and listen. You used him, Fox! He's sitting downstairs, not
knowing whether to cry or walk. I've talked him into staying for the
moment, but we need to get this sorted quickly, before he changes his
mind." He reached over, and released Mulder's hands from the cuffs.
"Alex! Where does this leave us?" Mulder was uncomfortably close to
pleading.
"I don't know! Just drop it, okay!" Mulder saw the pain in Alex's
expression. Miserable, he turned and pulled on his slightly crumpled
shirt, dressing hurriedly. He followed Alex downstairs and hesitantly
entered the room where his most recent lover was sitting, wretched and
alone. The blue eyes lifted, and a look of mixed misery, hope and fear
showed there. He didn't speak, but the mug he was holding began to shake
slightly, and a hand went up involuntarily to cover the dressing Alex
had put over the bite mark.
Mulder felt the oddest desire to wrap his arms around the younger man,
and hold him until the trembling passed. Something of that must have
shown, because both Alex and Sean flinched, for different reasons. Sean
edged further away from him, his face paling slightly.
"I don't really know what to say......" Mulder hesitated. "I'm sorry.
That doesn't sound nearly enough to make up for what I did....."
Sean felt so strange. This man was facing him, trying to explain the
inexplicable, and Sean didn't really want to listen. His headache was
making him dizzy, and he felt nauseous. Shock, probably. He decided to
get out of this place, go to his embassy lodgings, and call in sick for
a week. He would try to forget all about this little incident. Oh yes,
he desperately wanted to forget it. Especially the moment his own body
had arched upwards in total betrayal, and hot cum had pumped out of his
traitorous cock.
"Forget it! I want to. Just leave me alone and you won't ever need to
think about me again!" Sean rose to his feet, intending to storm out of
the house and find a cab to go home
The world tilted alarmingly, and he felt himself sliding, as if in slow
motion, to the floor. Mulder leapt forward, a fraction of a second ahead
of Alex, and he was once again in those violent, memorable, skilful
arms. Somewhere inside him, Sean felt a hot spike of pain, centred in
his abdomen, even as Mulder lowered his shivering body onto the couch.
The pain seemed to redouble, hitting his nervous system like a charge of
electricity. He felt his body arch upwards in a massive convulsion, and
he screamed in agony and terror. He felt himself clutching at Mulder,
his hands instinctively clawing at the agent. The ends of his fingers
split, gushing blood, and long taloned claws emerged, even as his own
eyes flared green.
"No! Oh no!" Mulder backed away in horror.
"Please! Help me!" The younger man's agonised scream wrenched at Mulder,
as he stared disbelievingly at what he had accomplished. Sean lifted his
torn hands in terror, reaching out in desperate entreaty towards Mulder.
He froze. Alex pushed past his immobile partner, glaring at him
accusingly as he forced his shock away, and knelt beside Sean. He
wrapped his arms around the bodyguard, holding him, trying to reassure
him. Smoothing his hands gently over the torn flesh as he tapped into
that part of his mind that could, on rare occasions, heal. Mulder
couldn't help himself, he turned and ran. Away from the life he had
ruined, and the lover he had betrayed. The worst of it was that he had
all the information he needed to work it out.
Kulain, not taking Sean, though he wanted to
Kulain biting Marita, and turning her into something else
Kulain's voice telling him that from the first moment they had been
lovers, his change was inevitable.
Amara and her clues about his changed biology.
What Kulain had done to him was infectious in some way, that's why he
and Alex had changed. Whether he was deliberately infected or not, he
didn't know, but his actions that night had just changed Sean's whole
life. The bodyguard was demon tainted, whether he wanted it or not. A
hell of a price to pay for a night of passion. He and Alex had been
fairly happy with their improved bodies, and had never chosen to
investigate the mechanism of the change. Any edge in their search for
the truth was worth the price. Or was it.....?
Mulder stumbled out of the house, intending to make his way to the park,
find somewhere quiet and try to solve his problems. He received an even
bigger shock outside his house than when he had been inside. The whole
of the street was blocked by half a hundred police cars, holding back a
crowd of about five hundred spectators, and the famous Washington media
circus. Most of those eyes were now focused on him. Slowly, Mulder went
down the steps and approached the barricade carefully, keeping his hands
visible.
"What's this all about? I'm Fox Mulder with the F.B.I." Cautiously,
Mulder offered his I.D. to the nearest police officer. The man, a
lieutenant, laughed.
"You mean you haven't even noticed your new next door neighbours? I
thought the F.B.I. were trained in observation techniques." The cop
sarcastically gestured up the street to the empty lot next door to
Mulder's house. Abruptly, Mulder felt like sitting down, and he found
himself clutching the cop's arm in apprehension and awe.
"Yeah! It gets everyone that way when they first see it." The cop became
sympathetic. "I'd hate to see what happens to your property prices!"
Mulder remembered what Kulain had said about it being obvious where he
would be. Well, the other demon cities had a central tower, why
shouldn't Kulain have one too? Next to his humans. The awesome structure
in the formerly empty lot was slender and beautiful, in a strange kind
of way. Glowing a pearly-iridescent emerald green, and tall as the
tallest public building in Washington. It radiated power and a calm
sense of control. And it seemed oddly comforting to him. Abruptly,
Mulder longed for Kulain's arms around him, then perhaps things would be
alright again. At least he wouldn't turn Mulder away.
Before the cop could stop him, he turned and ran towards the Tower, not
caring that in New York, the tower had displayed powerful defences
against invading humans. When the green light flashed out of the tower,
it struck him head on. There was a moment's horrific pain, as if he was
being turned inside out. Then, just as he was sure he would die, and
maybe he deserved it, a curious sense of recognition seemed to steal
over the agent. It knew him, and he was permitted to pass. In front of
the awed eyes of half the world's media and their cameras, Fox Mulder
entered the demon tower and the green light of the tower's defences died
into watchfulness again.
Darkness
Cold, terrible watchfulness that seemed to look deep into his soul
A distinct amusement that washed over him from somewhere distant
Mulder felt himself being lifted into the air, as if he was as light as
a feather, then he was rising inside the tower, until he was suddenly
level with a platform, where he was gently deposited. Shaken and
slightly apprehensive, Mulder walked forward for the first time, into
Kulain's domain. It was oddly human, nothing like the strangeness that
the other side of the gates sometimes displayed. A comfortable and
chaotic workroom, with incomprehensible clutter and a few comfortable
seating areas. His lover was sitting on one of these, smiling benignly
at him, as if he was a wayward child who had found the keys to the
treasure chest. Kulain looked tired.
"You were stupid to take such a risk with the sentinel in place, Fox. It
was .... dangerous! Why did you need to see me so soon? I told you I
would need three days."
"I.... I....please..... Kulain...." Mulder's control vanished, and he
flung himself forward, throwing his arms around the demon and clinging
to him, sobbing desperately. This at least, was a constant in his life.
To be held protectively and to have supportive, loving words whispered
to him, when he needed them. The one thing he had always craved from his
lover. No-one in the world could hurt him when Kulain held him so close.
"Little one. My Fox. Shakushu What is it?" Kulain gently soothed his
desperately anguished lover. He held Mulder in his arms until he felt
the trembling ease slightly. Fox Mulder, apparently so self reliant and
strong, had a delicate fragility to his mind when his relationship hit
rocky times. Kulain, slyly, had ensured that he was always there to
provide support, and had lately made himself indispensable to the human.
He loved Mulder. But control.....
"I did something so stupid. Alex hates me for it. I slept with him....
your friend Sean." Mulder felt Kulain tense slightly. "Then he
changed...." Mulder felt Kulain draw back from him, and whimpered
softly. But the demon didn't look angry or disgusted. Only regretful.
"That's.... ill timed. He needed protection from our smoking friend. My
interest had been noted by his people. I never thought to warn you not
to get too close to him. You probably realise by now that some,
fortunately rare humans can trigger overwhelming desire in our kind. You
and Alex felt it yourselves from Ash. A need to possess..... Did you
never realise what you did to me when you were in my bed?" Mulder shook
his head. Kulain drew him close again, and he nestled into his lover's
welcome embrace. "It becomes less, with prolonged contact. But never
entirely leaves you." He began to nuzzle Mulder's neck, letting his
mouth trace a path along the hotly pulsing blood vessel that ran close
to the surface there.
Mulder moaned, and tilted his head sideways, to give Kulain easier
access to his throat, and the deliciously dangerous feel of his lover's
teeth against his skin. The incidents with Sean all but forgotten.
"I know a way to take your mind off your troubles. Do you want me to
show you?" Mulder nodded in reply to Kulain's words that whispered
sibilantly against him, raising goose bumps across the tender flesh that
he was kissing. Mulder didn't trust himself to speak, but Kulain could
read his body well enough by now, to know his desire. Arms went around
him, as he sat on his lover's lap, leaning his back against Kulain's
chest. Nimble fingers reached down, and with his willing co-operation,
soon managed to loosen his belt and pants so that they could be
hurriedly wriggled out of by their owner. Mulder felt a growing hardness
behind him, and opened his legs wider at the prompting of a hand that
slowly caressed his firm buttocks. Kulain's other hand wasn't idle.
Fingers began to pull and tease at his nipples for a moment, then slid
up his chest and swept across his neck, finally finding his mouth and
pressing inside its hot moistness.
Mulder eagerly sucked on his lover's two fingers, making his tongue
stroke them and draw them deeper, mimicking the action he loved to
perform on Kulain's cock. His lover responded with a throaty laugh close
behind him and slowly drew the fingers away, ignoring Mulder's moan of
disappointment. The agent was almost fully erect by now, his cock raised
high in salute, glistening with pre-cum. One hand proceeded to grasp his
appreciative penis at the base, and he groaned appreciatively, wriggling
his body to try and thrust deeper into the tight fist.
"Shhh little Fox. Be patient. I can make you feel even better!" Kulain
chuckled at his lover's small encouraging cries, and slipped his
slickened fingers between Mulder's ass cheeks, finding his tightness
and teasing him slowly open. His Fox was really quite delightful, when
he lost his inhibitions, writhing like that as his prostate was gently
stroked. When he had provoked Mulder into screaming wildly, he judged
the time was right, and pushed the head of his large penis inside the
agent carefully, then easing his full length into the sweet depths.
Mulder sighed in satisfaction, then began the familiar thrusting rhythm
that impacted his prostate with every stroke. In this position, the
friction between them was spectacular. Mulder began to shout out wild
incoherent pleas, as he was filled and emptied in turn, more than half
in control of the sex. Then he came in a powerful surge that swept him
away, so that he barely felt Kulain's own climax.
After that, at some point they both ended up in Kulain's bed. And yes,
the tower had such a thing. Softer and lusher than Mulder was used to,
but heavenly for lying, exhausted, in your lover's arms, the softness of
the bed tipping their two bodies slightly closer. Kulain's arms were
around him as he lay with his head resting on the demon's chest
"That feels so good." Mulder murmured sleepily. Lips brushed in a tender
kiss across his forehead. Mulder pressed his body closer, enjoying the
soothing warmth. He hated fights with his partners, but making up was
always rewarding. Then a thought occurred to him.
"I think I just made our relationship public!" he murmured. "I came
dashing in here in front of half a hundred t.v. cameras, and it's
obvious I'm spending the night. Unless they think I'm lying dead in
here!"
"How would you like to be my official spokesman?" Kulain's face held no
trace of mockery. "At least I can trust you to speak the truth."
Mulder kissed a warm shoulder, enjoying the play of muscles beneath his
mouth, as the strong arms tightened reassuringly. "Only if you promise
me something important!" Kulain tilted his head to listen. "Talk things
over with me or Alex, if you're going to make any big decisions about
the city. I need to know you're going to care for all of us. That I
can trust you."
"Do you think I take on the aggravation of a city like this for fun,
Fox? I did this because you would never have forgiven me if I had let
them all die. I govern the city, my love, but you govern me!"
Mulder proceeded to demonstrate his gratitude very enthusiastically.
Pasht crept into the basement of the house almost silently. She could
hear Alex murmuring something to a strange man somewhere above her. He
sounded agitated. She felt only a mild curiosity. Kulain's games, as
usual, were proceeding on track. Keep his lovers off balance so they
would be controllable and more docile. Alex amused her. So passionate,
yet so vulnerable to exploitation where his emotions were concerned. She
also knew how enthusiastic he could be when given the right stimulus.
And here she was, letting herself be used in one game worthy of the
highest accolades.
Pasht crept to the side wall of the cellar, and pressed a coded sequence
of bricks on one grimy wall. A hidden door slid silently open, as had
been designed before the humans had ever moved into the house. She
stepped inside the cavity that was revealed, and the door closed behind
her. Only then did the concealed lighting in the ceiling brighten,
revealing the entrance to a complex series of tunnels that stretched
under the house. All the way to the great tower next door, in fact.
There were at least a mile of them stretching out in all directions, and
with the instinct of a cat, she chose one quiet, dark entrance, and
padded down it quickly, until she found the chamber she sought. Amara
leaned back against a high backed chair, reading some human nonsense.
She looked up and smiled.
"You have the supplies we need?"
"Yes!" Pasht nodded. "When the accelerated gestation period ends in
three weeks, we will be ready to care for the child, human style. Though
why you should want to, I don't know." The demon medical technician
smiled back at her sister.
"If the other demon leaders realise that I have allowed a half-human
child of mine to live, she will be eliminated. The child must be
hidden among the humans. They would not allow the potential for
destruction she carries to rest in human hands. They must think of
Kulain as the only inheritor of my power." The two of them turned to
look at the human woman whose womb carried the child. Rachel Nichols
slept on, oblivious to her fate.
"And therefore, whoever wishes to give men a truly worthy lord would
have to choose him from another species, endowed with a nature superior
to ours....they are reasonably bound to obey him, like a herd which
obeys a herdsman...."
Castiglione—Book of the courtier
Sean woke from a restless and dream haunted sleep, stretched out on the
couch. He shivered reflexively, for a moment in his nightmare, he had
been somewhere else, and he had seen an unearthly landscape, humans
scurrying for cover as night descended and the demons came. The sky had
been a muddy brown colour, and the Earth had been devoid of all plant or
animal life. Just the human burrows, where the remnants of a once great
people huddled for survival on a dying world. It had been so real. Even
now he could feel the lingering dread of the darkness that had seemed so
intense in that awful place.
Desperate for the sight of something living, Sean went over to the
window and flung open the curtains, to stare at the glowing green tower
that had appeared so recently on the Washington horizon. As usual, there
were plenty of spectators. The people of the town had begun to relax a
little, when no immediate threat had materialised, and those who had
fled the city were beginning to trickle back in small groups. Now it was
becoming a main attraction on tourist routes. Get your photo taken with
a demon tower in the background. Getting out of the house was like
negotiating a circus ring.
Boy, had it pissed off Alex!
Without knowing quite how, Sean had found himself installed in the
household. He had lied shamelessly to his work colleagues, and told them
he had found accommodation outside the embassy compound, a not uncommon
practice. If he were to admit the truth to himself, the episode when his
body had temporarily shifted had terrified him, and he felt reluctant
to wander far from the imagined safety of Krycek's presence. Though
whether to protect himself or others, he didn't know.
A part of him whispered that a bodyguard who could have weapons like
those claws at his disposal would have a formidable advantage. And he
had seen for himself how fast and strong the adaptations made a human.
And Alex. Beautiful, generous Alex, who had helped him so much. The
agent was having a rough time of it at the moment. He had sided with the
F.B.I. and placed the protection of civilians as his highest priority.
Opposing Mulder, who now spoke for Kulain in an official capacity. Sean
felt a pang of guilt. He had wrecked the two men's lives. Alex never
smiled or laughed when Sean saw the agent. He just seemed to drift
through life, miserable, and preferring to be alone. Alex tried to be
kind, but it was obvious who he wanted to be with.
Mulder too, plainly hated his new position, but grimly tried to do what
he thought was right. The few t.v. pictures Sean had seen showed Mulder
a few times at Kulain's side, during his negotiations with the
government, even caught a few rare displays of affection between them.
Now the evidence of that had really scandalised Washington! A human
and a demon as lovers.....!
But there was a haunted quality to Mulder's face that only someone who
had known him before could detect. Sean remembered the relaxed, gentle
man he had seen in the F.B.I. building, weeks ago, before he wrecked
things. Who had looked at him so compassionately, when Kulain had
touched him. And with a desperate shame, the fiercely passionate lover
who had changed his life..........
Mulder and Alex were both too proud to give in to each other, to bury
their differences, and now both suffered. With a sigh, the young
bodyguard turned back to his paperwork. His sick leave was up tomorrow,
and he would have to return to embassy life with its petty bureaucracy
and backbiting quarrels, to guard the lives of men and women he no
longer gave a damn about.
The screaming woke Sean in the early hours of the morning. A desperate
whimpering followed and he reflexively jerked his gun out of its holster
and ran towards the sound. It was Alex. The F.B.I. agent was huddled in
the corner of the room, curled tightly into a ball, hiding his face in
his hands. He was shivering uncontrollably. Sean laid his gun down on,
and slowly approached the distressed man.
"Alex? What is it? What's the matter?"
For long moments, the green eyes just stared at him, unseeing and
terrified. Then they finally seemed to focus on reality. A bewildered
expression crossed his face.
"That dream again!" he spoke very softly. "The bad one...... Where the
demons catch me, chain me up and hurt me. And no-one can help me...."
He broke into shocking sobs and wrapped his arms round himself,
trembling. And he didn't resist when Sean gently drew him closer, only
rested his head against his comforter's shoulder and cried in despair.
Sean held Alex carefully, like he was a fragile piece of china. There
was something so desperate about his sobs, as if he was on the edge of
an abyss. Finally the wretched weeping ceased, and Alex just stayed
still, as if he didn't want to leave the soothing embrace.
"I thought I would hate you," Alex said quietly. "But I don't. Isn't
that crazy!" He laughed, but there was a strained quality to the sound.
"When I get the dream, it's so real, like it actually happened to me.
When Kulain or....... Fox were around, I knew I was safe, it wasn't so
bad. At least I always knew Kulain would protect me from harm....."
Hesitantly, Sean reached out his hand to touch Alex, gently brushing his
fingers across the smooth skin of Alex's face. Momentarily, Alex seemed
to revive and respond, his eyes lighting with something more than
misery, as loneliness and physical need warred with the agony of his
loss. Then, with a curse, he pulled away from the bodyguard, shaking
with an involuntary reaction, as his body reacted to Sean's.
"You're not Fox! You'll never take his place! Keep away from me. Damn
you for being where you're not wanted! Just go!"
Alex pulled away, and fled to the solace of his own private corner of
the house. Utterly miserable, Sean slowly pushed a bag full of his
things and left the house. He found a cab and reported back, eventually,
to the Embassy compound. To enter the soul destroying world of
diplomatic intrigue and danger. He determined to request a transfer back
to England. All that was left to him now was the desolate seclusion of
his own traitorous thoughts, and the sexual longing that seemed to burn
in his blood now. A hopeless craving for the thing that Alex and Mulder
had known. Intimacy, and partnership. He could have accepted it, if one
of the two men had offered him what he needed, but both had rejected
him. Now there was only one who could make him feel complete, and
that alternative was unacceptable to him.
Kulain!
Alex had, for once, stunned Skinner. The A.D. had anticipated that a
"power hungry rat" like Alex Krycek would be eager to seek his own
advancement in the struggle for advantage that had taken over the lives
of most Washington bureaucrats as the new power structure in the Capital
was thrashed out. Though Kulain seemed content to leave most government
departments intact, strange rumours were circulating about Defence and
Scientific areas of government. And Alex Krycek could surely use his
phenomenal contacts to get himself a top position, either off Kulain, or
any department seeking a demon advisor. So what did the little rat do?
He requested a job out of Washington! "As far away from Kulain as
possible...," he had said.
With a sigh, Skinner had complied. As it happens, he needed an
investigator to check out certain disturbing rumours circulating in the
Las Vegas area, which was experiencing the boom of the century, as
frightened citizens partied until they dropped, trying to ignore the
uncertainties of the future. Apparently, there had been a number of
disturbing disappearances, more than might be expected, even among such
a heaving mass of humanity. Skinner suspected that at least one human
predator was stalking the crowds, and Alex had proved himself a
competent investigator on previous occasions. So Alex headed West.
The President scowled at his advisors, his face purpling with rage.
"So you're telling me we have to let that slit eyed monster dictate
terms to us! The American people won't stand for it. Changing the
structure of government so that he gets to control all scientific
research! Laws giving demons civil rights! A veto on all law and defence
matters! It's outrageous. And this last one is totally bizarre.... legal
partnership status for all homosexual and cross species relationships.
What he really means is to give legal protection to the dirty traitor
he's sleeping with!"
"Sir, you agreed to this." The Attorney General reminded his outraged
superior. "We may not like the changes he's making, but at least he's
willing to work within the legal system to get his way. There aren't
really any devastating new laws here. And it's a small price to pay for
his protection. We need him sir! He keeps the other demons in check, and
besides which, I don't know if any of our forces could face him. The
demons know how to control us now."
"It's okay!" The Texan Defence Secretary agreed. "At least he doesn't
want a virgin sacrifice every day, or a regular supply of tasty mortals.
Besides, I've known him for longer than anyone else here, and I think he
can be trusted to keep us safe. He's also phenomenally clever, our
scientists could learn an awful lot from him, maybe it'll even give us a
strategic advantage."
The president bowed his head in defeat. "What about New York and
Delaware?" he queried.
"There have been no reports of demons outside their zones. I'm not
surprised though. They have enough people to keep them occupied for
years. And the killing seems to be abating. They've started to build
what we think are city walls, around the Delaware site. I should add
that we can't even begin to match the technology they're using."
The Attorney General waited until the Texan had concluded his risk
assessment then added, "Most Americans are just waiting to see what
happens next Sir. They trust you. If you show any lack of confidence in
Kulain, it'll be like lighting the blue touchpaper and standing back.
The country would explode. There would be total anarchy, and the right
wing militia would take over in a lot of states."
The President reached for his pen and signed the new articles of law.
Congressional approval was not required, since, officially, Washington
was no longer American territory. He turned, however, to the head of the
CIA, after his two most trusted advisors had left.
"Bill, I want your researchers in Area 51 to see what they can come up
with. I want a foolproof way to kill demons. Maybe something biological
that will wipe them all out. And I want a cure for their damned virus.
Take whatever resources you need, I'll give you carte blanche and an
open purse. Let's nail those bastards!"
Mulder nestled into the warmth of Kulain's side with a blissful smile.
Last night, like the many before it had been spectacular. When Kulain
was getting what he wanted, he really knew how to share his pleasure. If
it hadn't been for his remarkably efficient, demon enhanced body, Mulder
doubted if he could have sat down for a week. As sole recipient of
Kulain's affections, it stretched him in more ways than one to satisfy
the demon's appetites. The number of times he had come last night still
astounded him. Alex would never believe him..... And there, the day
seemed to darken, as he remembered that Alex wasn't around any more. He
caught his breath in a sob.
Luckily, at that moment, his mobile phone went off.
"Mulder here!" He answered reflexively, though nowadays, it was rarely
likely to be anyone other than a reporter or a sycophantic government
official, seeking some kind of deal. They all approached him. Hardly
surprising. At least he was human and Kulain still scared them too
much. But this early morning call was personal.
"Fox. I need you to come and see me. It's your mother here. There have
been some problems at home since you decided to....... er......
well..... Please. Your cousin Jo has been attacked. We need your help!"
Mulder listened to his mother's frantic pleading with growing alarm. It
wasn't like her to get hysterical. In fact, at times she was the coolest
head in the family. That was part of the problem. But he couldn't let
her down. And Jo, the youngest member of his immediate family, was
special. A clever and sparkling teenager, when younger, she had always
followed him around like a devoted puppy dog. An easy victim for his
many enemies.
"I'll be there as soon as I can Mom. Don't worry. I'm not going to let
anyone else bother you!"
Mulder slipped his phone back onto the table and frowned. He was
supposed to be meeting the Attorney General this morning about the new
laws. Which he found, to his surprise, to be incredibly enlightened.
Kulain had more of a grasp of justice than he had realised, and of the
twenty or so new statutes, some even corrected flaws in the American
justice system.
Kulain sat up, watching his thoughtful lover with sharpening interest.
"Problems?" he queried.
"Uh-huh." Mulder nodded. "I've got to get out to my family's home today.
But I've got that business later. I'll never make it back in time!"
"You will, if I insist on an early meeting." Kulain smiled slyly. His
suggestions had the weight of law among the scurrying bureaucrats. No-
one wanted to risk the demon's wrath. "Then perhaps we can drive there
in your new sports car," Kulain said softly. "I enjoy the feel of wind
on my face, after all of the offices I have to visit."
Mulder smiled at his lover, the offer of support was generous,
considering the pressure Kulain faced in the task of his self imposed
governorship. "My family will probably freak out, but I guess you'll
need to meet them sometime."
Boy, was his mother going to get a surprise. As if Alex hadn't been
enough of a shock! She knew who he was seeing, of course, all of
Washington knew who its demon lord favoured the most. And what exactly
Mulder did to earn his trust. But to actually be face to face with
Kulain himself, the demon lord of Washington, and the being who,
figuratively speaking, held the government by the balls! It made for an
interesting morning.
Sean could remember better assignments. Lots of them, in fact. Due to
his recent "ill-health", he was on a low priority case, guarding a
Japanese business man who had pissed off some alleged cult in his home
country. He was assigned as a watchdog, just in case..... It wasn't even
in London. No, Mr. Takamoto had to complete a deal in the burgeoning
North Eastern computer industry. So they were in Newcastle, trying to
buy up the remnants of a closed down microchip factory which had been
closed, less than nine months after opening, due to the latest
recession. Sean hated the weather, the constant visits to night-clubs
where the clientele were twenty years younger than Takamoto, and the
frothy beer. Last night had been typical, a trip to a cruise liner
turned night-club, moored on the River Tyne, where his charge had picked
up a likely lass and thrown his money round like water. Sean was close
to throwing in the towel and giving up his job.
Then this morning, his long time colleague Liz Shore had turned up on
the doorstep with a replacement for him. A younger man, fresh from
training, who would take over on the Takamoto job while he and Liz went
on "special assignment." To be honest, at that point, Sean would have
done anything to relieve the boredom.
Kulain had been right in insisting that they took the new car that he
had given to his lover. Mulder enjoyed cruising down the highways
immensely. There had only been one doubtful incident, when a patrol car
had buzzed them, cruising up close behind them and giving them a close
inspection. Mulder had slowed the car to a more respectable speed, and
allowed them to pull the car over. A swaggering, big bellied cop had
come alongside, and had rested his hand on his gun butt, whilst he
looked scornfully at the city boys in their fast car. Kulain had looked
back for a long moment, then raised his sunglasses, so that slit
pupilled eyes were revealed. Mulder had to admit that being with a demon
was a great way to avoid speeding tickets. He doubted that the cop had
ever moved so fast in his life. Anywhere, as long as it was away from
the readily recognisable demon lord, whose face had been on a thousand
t.v. reports, magazines and newspapers over the past few weeks. Mulder
had driven well over halfway to his destination before he stopped
laughing.
Kulain looked with approval at his Fox. His lover was fairly stable
and self confident at the moment, despite his problems. Mainly due to
his heavy reliance on Kulain. The drive and the change of scene were
remarkably restorative for his lover. It was the first time he had seen
Mulder laugh in weeks, and there was a becoming flush to Fox's skin that
stirred desires deep inside him. He reluctantly forced the feelings away
for now. Later, he would ensure that Fox was reduced to whimpering
ecstasy, but at the moment, he was content to watch the beautiful face
light up in pleasure again. He would really have to get one of his other
"humans" back, restricting his desires to one human was torture, Fox
alone could not sate him, he needed at least two lovers for that. Alex
could wait for the moment, but Sean urgently required a firm hand to
gentle him. Too long away from his peers, and Sean would convince
himself to believe the illusion of independence. And his education in
the pleasures Kulain could offer him was pleasing to contemplate
Their arrival at Mulder's family home was unexpected in its
repercussions. Mainly because they weren't the first to get there. A
couple of squad cars and a t.v. van were already ensconced outside the
Martha's Vineyard home where his mother had hoped to avoid a public
spectacle. Mulder hadn't really given a thought to what would happen to
anyone in his family when his liason became public knowledge. They were
already calling him a traitor to humanity, in some of the more militant
corners of the country. Despite the fact that Kulain had publicly
disclosed Mulder's moderating influence on his behaviour.
It was obvious, from the first moment that Mulder pulled up outside the
house, that there had been trouble. One of the windows was smashed, and
had been covered by a thick wooden board. And someone had painted a
message in bright red paint, across the front of the door.
Judas
As Mulder sat in the car, staring, he heard Kulain growl deep in his
throat. Green eyes glowed in rage. At the same instant, the spectators
caught sight of him. More than one face paled. Mulder couldn't really
blame them. The sight of Kulain, angry, was more than intimidating, it
was terrifying. He stepped out of the car at Mulder's side, and strode
towards the frightened humans. The lead cop, quailing, looked into the
demon lord's face and audibly swallowed. Brave of him to stand his
ground.
"Who did this?" Kulain's snarl commanded a response. Shaking, the cop
began to babble answers.
"I....er....That is.... Some men were caught last night. They were
drunk......"
Mulder decided it was time to intervene. He quickly grabbed Kulain's arm
and pulled him away from the luckless man.
"Please, don't! It wasn't his fault! It's not like the damage can't be
repaired...."
"And your cousin?" Kulain gently detached Mulder's fingers from his arm.
"Fox, they challenge my authority with this. There is a lesson they must
learn."
He turned to the local t.v. reporter who was watching, agog at the
unexpectedly juicy story that had suddenly materialised. Kulain beckoned
the reporter and cameraman closer.
"Reporters like interviews, don't they? How would you like an exclusive
interview with me?" Speechless for once, the nervous looking young
reporter nodded frantically. "Go and see to your family Fox. I won't
attack anyone! But I will have something to say to the people who
threaten those under my protection!"
Leaving Kulain talking to the camera, Mulder went up to the door of his
home and let himself into the house.
He walked straight into the sort of family argument that made him wish
that he had a ravening demon or three to occupy him, it would be easier
to cope with. The main cause of strife was Jo's father, his uncle, who
was an active Republican, and had no time for fools, queers or enemies
of the American way of life. Unfortunately, he considered Fox Mulder to
be all three, and was enraged at having to defend his nephew and the
family honour. His mother was, as usual, changeable and defensive. His
aunt was tearful and Jo was sitting, facing the door with a face like
thunder. She was the only one who actually supported Mulder. Why the
hell did he have to have such a dysfunctional family?
Mulder's arrival on the scene did nothing to calm the situation. No
sooner had he walked through the door, when his uncle, spying a new
target, had launched into a tirade about Mulder.
"You sorry son of a bitch. Weren't you satisfied with breaking your
mother's heart, with the last little shit you were sleeping with? No!
You had to go one better. Find someone who makes Hitler look good, and
fuck him in public so that the whole world knows you're a queer....."
"Please dear..... It's not his fault....." His mother feebly tried to
defend him. Mulder's uncle looked as though he was going to explode, his
face brick red with rage.
"Look what your perversions have done to this family!" He roared. "Jo
had to have fifteen stitches in her face last night. Some kids at her
school decided to express their opinions about you. The stupid little
fool tried to defend you and got a broken bottle in the face for her
trouble. You can't deny that's your fault. She might be scarred for life
because of you!"
"Look......" Mulder started to protest. "I'm so sorry about Jo. But I
haven't done anything wrong......"
"Oh that's a great help!" He opened his mouth to launch into another
round of arguments. Fortunately for all concerned, at that moment the
doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," his aunt said. "I expect it's those reporters again."
Mulder's uncle advanced on him, until he was inches away from Mulder. He
jabbed one large finger into his nephew's chest. Mulder felt a sense of
helplessness. The only response he could think of was to fight or run.
Having demon blood didn't seem to help this situation.
"So how are you going to deal with this, you little fuck! Maybe you can
offer your ass to your big, bad friend in Washington, and get him to fix
things. How does it feel to whore for a living?"
Mulder flinched. He desperately fought down the urge to shift, to rend
and tear at the source of the pain. It would be so easy to let go.....
To open himself up to the darkness that surged inside him. The part of
himself he had kept suppressed since that cataclysmic night with
Sean.....
Jo gasped, and Mulder turned to see his aunt swaying, white faced, in
the doorway.
"Fox....." she whispered. "Your friend is here....." She moved aside,
and Kulain entered the room. His green, slit pupilled eyes swept over
its inhabitants, and narrowed slightly in concern when he sensed his
lover's distress.
The small group of humans stared back at Kulain, like deer caught in a
hunter's headlights.
"So," he said softly. "You want me to fix things, do you?" He inspected
Mulder's uncle coldly. "What exactly do you think I should do, in return
for this admittedly delicious piece of ass?" He winked at Mulder, who
sighed in relief. Kulain had, of course, heard most of their argument,
but he was apparently amused by such idiotic bigotry. Mulder felt
immediately reassured by his presence. Kulain moved towards Mulder, and
gently rested his hands on his lover's shoulders. Mulder closed his eyes
for a moment. With just a touch, Kulain had made him feel so much safer.
It felt as though the demon was standing between him and disaster. He
let the darkness sink back down inside him, and leaned against his
lover, uncaring of what the others thought.
"Come on Fox. Why don't you get me some of your mother's famous coffee
blend? I've heard so much about it....."
Mulder let himself be led into the kitchen, and made himself concentrate
on the familiar tasks of making fresh coffee. Soon, he and his lover
were both sitting with hot mugs of the beverage, around the kitchen
table. One of the few human tastes Kulain had developed. Mulder felt as
if he were in a crazy dream. Kulain must have felt it too. He smiled.
"I think this is what Alex would call a happy domestic scene." Kulain
raised the mug. "He would of course laugh at us!"
"Yeah!" Mulder said softly. Someone at the door cleared her throat in
query. Jo.
"I think I'm the only one with guts enough to come in here Fox." She
glanced shyly at Mulder's companion. "Is it okay? They've sent me to
parley..." Mulder nodded tiredly. Kulain looked at the girl with
interest. He could see the slight family resemblance between the two
humans. And both appeared to be the stubborn sort. He rose and walked
towards the human. She paled, but stood her ground. A long finger
reached out to touch the curving, stitched up wound that marred the side
of her face. Dark fire seemed to blaze for an instant, then he drew back
his hand. The injury was gone, as if it had never been.
"Ask your father if that will suffice," he said softly. "And I can
provide him with a new house in Washington, if he places himself under
my protection." Wide eyed, Jo nodded.
After she left, Mulder felt so relieved. She would be safe now, thanks
to Kulain. Mulder found himself across the room and wrapped in his
lover's arms in the space of a heartbeat. They kissed with increasing
fierceness, as Mulder pressed himself closer.
Oh god, he wanted Kulain right now. Here. In his mother's kitchen. He
was rubbing himself almost frantically against the demon now, aware of
the effect he had. Kulain always made things better, always supported
him. He carried the thought down into the dark place with him as he lost
himself in the fires of Kulain's touch.
At some point Mulder had fallen to his knees before his dark lord, and
Kulain drew his lover's head closer for that particular form of
veneration that his human adored, with lips and the fierce furnace of
his mouth. And when the door to the kitchen opened, Mulder didn't even
hear it, surrendering himself to the taste of his lover's body.
Kulain gazed coldly at the spectator, then allowed a chilly smile to
display itself. He fondled Fox's busy head, and as his eyes darkened in
the heat of his passion, the horrified watcher fled.
Alex lay naked on top of the covers of his bed, in a Las Vegas hotel. He
had been contemplating the future with misery. A life without Fox was
unthinkable, even if he had behaved adulterously with Sean. At least it
had happened only once. Alex closed his eyes. He could see them, even
now. Mulder thrusting vigorously into the bodyguard's inexperienced
body, Sean's moans of ecstasy as he was taken so powerfully. It was no
surprise to Alex to feel himself growing hard. Somehow the sight of them
fucking like that had wormed its way into his fantasies. He hated
himself for it. And he wanted to be the one writhing beneath Mulder,
wrapping his legs around his lover. He could understand Mulder's
fascination with Sean. The man was very attractive, perhaps because of
his very inexperience. Alex wondered if he could share Fox with any
other human. Perhaps. If there was no other way. His hand slid down to
rub at his growing erection. It would be interesting to have Sean go
down on him, whilst Mulder took him from behind. Yes, that did the
trick. His cock rose in approval, and bobbed against his belly. Sighing
in guilty pleasure, he began to stroke himself.
He could almost hear Mulder moaning, feel the muscular arms around him.
And as his hand squeezed and pulled at the fullness of his erection, he
could almost see the hot mouth he would plunge into. He would show Sean
who was allowed to sleep with Mulder. It wasn't hate he felt for Sean,
but he wasn't sure exactly what he would call this feeling. Jealously
though, he would keep Sean busy so that he wouldn't have time to seek
out Mulder....
Then with a hoarse sob, he came, rearing upwards, his body jerking
rhythmically upwards as he rode the orgasm, semen jetting up onto his
belly and chest. But it wasn't like loving Mulder. There would be no
insistent tongue licking him clean tonight. No second round lying on his
belly as he was fucked so deeply that his climax made him faint. No arms
holding him afterwards in warm contentment. Not even in his dreams.
Alex sighed in loneliness, and flopped back onto the bed. It was then
that the something on the low murmuring of the t.v. penetrated his mind.
It was Kulain. Evidently, he was giving one of his rare interviews, and
it had made the prime time news. Green eyes icily stared into the camera
lens. Alex dived for the remote, and turned the volume up. Just the
sound of his demon lover's voice was erotic.
"This is Ricky Martin here in Martha's Vineyard with the Lord of
Washington himself, Kulain. Sir I understand you want to make a
statement....."
Alex sat up straighter. Why was Kulain there, where Mulder's family
lived? Had something happened? The camera panned outwards to show the
damage to Mulder's family home, while Kulain's voice spoke.
"I place Fox Mulder's family under my personal protection. If anyone
harms them again, or attempts to harass them, I will have them killed. I
will take care of it personally. I have no quarrel with anyone else, but
I will eliminate all challenges to my authority in this matter."
He sounded cold, precise and deadly. Alex shivered. That would make
him even less popular among humans, though Alex agreed with the
sentiment. But he had missed the rest of the report. Grabbing his
bedside phone, he quickly called Mulder's ever present mobile. After a
moment, Fox answered.
"Fox! It's Alex! Is everyone alright? I just caught the news...."
"Alex...... Yeah, we're okay. Kulain had to heal Jo, she was attacked.
That's what all the fuss is about." Mulder sounded surprised, but then
his tone became warmer
"But you're okay Foxy?" He couldn't keep the anxiety out of his voice.
"Apart from being bawled out by my family, yes, I'm alright. I.....
Listen Alex, thanks for calling."
Alex sighed softly, knowing Mulder would hear. "I still care Foxy. You
ought to know that. I'm still wearing your ring, aren't I. If I hated
you, I would have thrown it back at you."
Mulder was very quiet. Then he laughed softly. "We do get into the
craziest fights, don't we?"
"I don't want to fight any more," Alex said plaintively, "I want to make
up. You know how good that bit is!"
"I'd like that!" Mulder said gently. "When you get back from Las
Vegas..... Till then, it's just me on my own in this big bed......
Kulain's had to go on a trip to England."
"Tell me what you're going to do to me when I get back...." Alex purred
huskily, and let his hand move down slowly again, towards his newly
resurgent erection.
Sean had spent the last week in training with Liz and a group of five
other bodyguards, training and honing their skills in preparation for
the visit of a top secret VIP who was involved in some sort of treaty
negotiations with the British government. Whatever it was, and most of
his colleagues speculated that it was an Irish issue, it was highly
classified. None of the bodyguards had been allowed to leave the
training area at all for the past week, and personal calls were
forbidden. The last time Sean had seen security like that was for a
secret meeting between the Russian and American presidents. His group
were being trained to act as a team, a single flawless unit, who would
have total control over security for the person, whoever he/she was.
They would be assisted on the perimeter by police and Special Branch.
But in essence, they had to eat, sleep and breathe in the company of
their charge. Total Immersion, it was called. Nothing was allowed to
distract them from their single purpose.
To Sean's utter surprise, he had been placed in charge of the squad,
though he would have to answer to his superior if anything went wrong.
But the planned visit had an elegant simplicity that made their jobs
easier. The "ambassador" would arrive at the ultra expensive country
house hotel, and would stay there for two days, having the necessary
negotiations in the building, and the only guests would be their charge
and the ministers he was meeting. Sean wasn't sure how this individual
was arriving, but once there, was his charge. And even he didn't know
what the transport arrangements were, or who his charge was. All his
boss would say was, "You'll see! And you'll immediately know why we have
all the security precautions!"
Sean gathered his team at the assembled time, and they fanned out within
range of the large hotel lobby, waiting the arrival with curiosity. The
Deputy Prime Minister was waiting there too, which underlined the
importance of this meeting. Sean had to admit that he was just as
interested to know what the mystery was about. Perhaps it was the return
of his status that had made him feel so much better, but lately he was
beginning to find life interesting again. The strange longings he had
felt for so long seemed to be fading, and Washington was just a distant
bad dream. So unlike anything English. There were no demons here to
disturb the peace of the countryside. Though a small, nagging voice
whispered in the back of his mind that perhaps he was the exception to
that rule.
The sudden flare of light, lightning bright in the hotel entrance,
stunned him. His hand reached automatically for his gun. The light died,
as quickly as it had appeared, and a dark figure walked in through the
doorway. The newcomer surveyed the room before him, taking in all of its
occupants at a glance. Sean gasped in recognition, and for a moment,
found himself unable to respond to the shouted inquiries in his
earpiece, from his team. Common sense finally asserted itself, when the
Deputy P.M. moved forward, a patently false smile of greeting on his
face. Sean managed to get his team back under control, and muttered
instructions to them to check the ground floor entrances and the
conference room. Then he followed the minister and Kulain into the
meeting and bolted the big doors as per his instructions.
Kulain was amused. He had expected the Cigarette Smoking Man to take a
hand in his life again soon, the man was nothing if not persistent. And
the human's devious nature had asserted itself, true to form. He
pretended to ignore Sean, who was leaning against the wall,
periodically muttering queries into his throat mike, while he maintained
security. As it happened, the way Sean had been deliberately given this
assignment by his nemesis was exactly what he had been hoping for when
he requested the meeting. And the British government, more attuned to
its own advantage than the Americans, and also less well armed, were
pleased to confer with him. He planned to extend his influence here in
due course, so the timing of the meeting was beneficial.
But Sean.... Beautiful, sensuous Sean. Who was trying not to look at
Kulain, though sharp demon senses could smell the beginnings of his
arousal, even through the interference of cigar smoke and the slight
odour of fear that clung to these humans. Briefly, Kulain allowed his
eyes to flicker upwards, intersecting Sean's gaze as his eyes surveyed
the room. Kulain let the trace of a smile show, and enjoyed the slight
flush that rose across the bodyguard's cheeks. He loved the game of
seduction, it was so much like a hunt. With a prize he could sink his
teeth into at the end, metaphorically speaking. Kulain let the game
continue.
Sean was finding it hard to concentrate. Twice he had missed a cue from
his team, and Liz sounded irate. Kulain was playing with him, he knew it
instinctively. And it wasn't hard to feel anger or hatred for the demon.
Messing up his life like this. But that didn't stop the heat from slowly
consuming him, the sudden tightness of his pants, and the constriction
of his shirt. A disturbing urge came over him to pull his clothes open
to expose his neck and upper chest. Awkwardly, he ran a finger inside
his shirt collar, and out of the corner of his eye, saw Kulain's mouth
twitch.
He knows
Angrily, Sean forced his mind back onto the job, and it was only by
force of will that he stayed professional until the end of that day's
interminable negotiations. Then he and Liz could take a break until
midnight, to eat and rest, before they once again took over protection
duties. But there was still the darkest part of the night to get
through.
A cold shower helped. Sean was beginning to dread being in the same room
as Kulain.
Not that any of his team were cowards, but none of them wanted to be
close to a demon. But someone had to guard the room he had been given.
Sean had volunteered to do that particular duty even before he knew who
he was guarding. And now he was stuck with the duty. To remain alone
with Kulain in a hotel suite for six hours, in the middle of the
night......
Oh god, how am I going to get through this....
Liz smiled sympathetically.
"He's really not so bad, Sean. The early shift reported that he seemed
quite civilised. Even ordered room service for them!"
How could he tell the colleague who he respected that it wasn't the
demon he was scared of, so much as himself. He shivered. The memory of
being pressed down into the rubble by the weight of that incredible
body. Of a tongue probing his mouth with casual force.
No. NO!
Somehow he forced his body to behave, and by the time he knocked at the
suite, he was more or less in control. His colleague greeted him with
relief, and Sean assumed his position inside the door. Kulain,
mercifully, was behind the closed door of the bedroom. And so he was
safe, for the moment.
At three o clock in the morning, Sean's mind was beginning to drift. The
periodic check ins by his associates were all clear. Sean was leaning
back against the door and relaxing. He was tired, but not unduly so. But
there was a nagging little voice inside him that told him he should
really check on Kulain's safety. It was supposed to be his duty.
Guiltily, he moved towards the bedroom door and opened it. In the
darkness, he couldn't see a thing, so hesitantly he moved into the gloom
of the bedroom. As his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he realised that
the bed was empty.
"I knew you would come Sean." Kulain's voice sounded low and erotic,
somewhere behind him in the darkness. And before the young bodyguard
could move, a hand slid slow and provocative, down his spine and between
his legs. And suddenly he was helplessly pressing himself against it,
arching his back like a cat in heat, opening himself to the touch,
moaning, powerless to stop himself.
"Yes! I know what you need" Kulain's mouth was near his cheek, close
enough to feel the warmth of his breath. And hands were pulling at his
clothes, his fingers and Kulain's. Baring him to Kulain's burning gaze,
as glowing green eyes savoured their prize. How long had he waited in
the darkness for Sean? As long as it took! Kulain's patience was
inhuman.
Sean would finally be his. Already, as he pressed up against the human
from behind, relishing the contours of his skin beneath taloned fingers,
Sean was losing the last shreds of control. He began to make small
whimpering cries, insistently pushing his ass against the demon in
entreaty. Presenting himself like a bitch in heat, waiting for the stud
to take possession. Kulain wasn't going to refuse such a tempting
invitation. He pushed Sean towards the bed, and made the human kneel,
upper body over the bed, his ass over the edge and his legs stretched
wide. The tenor of Sean's cries changed, became more pleading, more
insistent. Humans were so delightful when they were ready to be fucked
within an inch of their lives. In a single powerful thrust, he
penetrated the bodyguard, pushing himself all the way in. It was
immensely satisfying.
Sean wasn't able to think, or reason any more. He was at the centre of a
maelstrom of fire, his senses bombarded with conflicting sensation. The
faint heady scent of his lover, that made him forget who he was, what he
was supposed to be there for. The light, erotic trail of talons down
his back. The strangely distant throb of his body where it had been
stretched wide. But above all the virility that powered its way inside
him in exquisite fiery thrusts, as strong arms held him down. He never
wanted it to stop, but his body had its own agenda, which seemed to
involve wild, screaming surrender. And enthusiastic co-operation, so
that he was instinctively moving in harmony with his lover.
He had been lost the moment Kulain first touched him, and instinct had
made his body yield.
This was not like Mulder. That had been terrifying as well as
enlightening. He wasn't afraid of the demon, though he didn't understand
why. It was glorious. Wondrous. Like finding part of himself that he
hadn't known was missing. And he answered the call of his blood as best
he could.
The human's movements had become frantic, and Kulain savoured Sean's
tiny sobs as he pushed himself onto Kulain's cock with every sign of
enjoyment. He decided to be generous this time, and increased his pace,
to bring the human off sooner. No point in blowing Sean's mind open
quite yet. Let him grow accustomed to being tamed first. Kulain would
ensure that there were plenty more opportunities for his human to be
tutored in the finer pleasures of demon sex.
For Sean, the world exploded. He felt his body slam against Kulain, as
he came endlessly. He was soaring through space as fireworks detonated
inside his head. A wetness surged against his belly, then he heard
Kulain groan, and he was flooded with the demon's hot seed.
Utterly spent, he sagged into Kulain's embrace, as he was pulled closer,
his head finding a resting place against Kulain's chest. As the
aftershocks of pleasure faded he sighed in contentment. Kulain gently
kissed his forehead, and he drifted in bliss, dimly aware of Kulain's
murmured endearments.
Sleep came almost immediately.
Tiamat rubbed her hands in glee. Her spies were most efficient, and she
knew that Kulain was fully occupied in the seduction of another human.
How weak, to actually persuade a human to co-operate. Why not just
take what he wanted? But now one of Kulain's other pets was unguarded.
It was finally time to take revenge on her hated rival. And it would be
done in such a way that he would never suspect her involvement. Kulain
was predictable, so he would bring about his own downfall. And perhaps
she would even keep the little pet for her own amusing games. How
delightfully he would scream....
Unless there is genetic intervention by new technology or deliberate
breeding programs over many thousands of years—both of which options
properly ring alarm bells in our society—further evolution of Homo
sapiens is probably at an end.
Richard Leakey (1992)
Tiamat smiled seductively at the young man. He was a handsome blonde, in
his early twenties, with a boyish charm and a slender yet muscular build
that she found attractive. Though her tastes didn't normally run to
humans, this one had an edge of innocence about him that she delighted
in contemplating. Putting temptation in his path hadn't been difficult.
He looked slightly shy, and was more than a little overwhelmed that this
apparently sophisticated woman, beautiful and elegant, wanted him. It
was simple to get him to follow her to a private suite. She smiled at
him.
When a predator shows its teeth in any circumstances, friendship is not
its intention.
A touch, leading into more intimate caresses. Kissing him. Tasting
him Running her fingers through the pale blonde hair and wondering what
colour the blood would dye it. Wrapping her legs round him, and forcing
him onto the bed. Satisfying her body's craving for sex. Then shifting,
becoming serpentine, and crushing the life from his so frail human body.
Then she satisfied her other hunger, as she must do at least once a
week.
The body would be dumped in the trash tomorrow by one of her loyal
workers. No need to make drones of them, they were quite happy to work
for money. And besides, though they didn't know what she was, they had
seen the remains that came out of her room each time she fed. None of
them would challenge her, they were not that foolish.
Kulain and the others had their towers. But she had her hotel. Or should
that be "hunting ground."
Alex Krycek frowned in concentration, silently absorbing the information
held in the stack of reports, as he sat in the Vegas field office.
Though a couple of the local agents seemed wary of his presence on this
case, his reputation was apparently untarnished in this part of the
world. No-one knew of his connection with Kulain, although they knew he
was some kind of supernatural expert. It was probably just as well. He
hated to think what the reaction would be. Although apathy and fear held
most of the population in America in check, if barely, here in the sin
capital of the west, life was lived on the edge. A sizeable percentage
of the population seemed to think the Apocalypse was nigh, and the devil
was coming to pull them down to hell. Alex could have told them it was
underrated. But if the end of the world was coming, a lot of people
wanted to end their existence partying. The city of Las Vegas was
overflowing with vast crowds out to spend their money before it was too
late. And gamble or fuck their way into oblivion.
The reverse side of the coin was present too. There were also countless
harbingers of disaster, millennium cults gone mad, and prophets of doom.
The churches were overflowing too, often with gamblers fresh off the
tables, having lost their life savings, and now consumed with guilt and
remorse. You couldn't walk a block down the street without being offered
your heart's desire and your soul's damnation.
And somewhere in this maelstrom stalked a vicious killer, who had left
bodies inexplicably crushed to pulp and half eaten into the bargain.
Bones had been shredded into paste as it they had been wrapped in a
giant hand. Most of the victims had been healthy, handsome young men who
should have been able to fight off or run from a normal attacker. And
oddly, several of the victims showed signs of sexual activity at the
time of their deaths.
The agent in charge of the case, Vince Cassidy, had done a lot of
groundwork on tracking the movements of the murder victims, and had come
up with a promising lead. All of the men had been seen in the vast
entertainment and gambling complex adjoining the Tropical Palace Hotel.
This was a huge new enterprise that presented a jungle theme in its
decor and shows. It was also one of the world's largest hotels, with
over two thousand rooms and its own shops, churches and at least five
swimming pools. All overflowing with guests at the moment, as hard to
scrutinise as grains of sand on a beach.
"The management has kept us the surveillance tapes from the hotel, for
the night of the last murder," Cassidy said. "But you can see how big
the problem is. Three hundred separate cameras and three agents assigned
to the case. Unfortunately, with this demon thing, crime rates have
risen about three hundred percent, as every nut in the city decides to
get some action. We're stretched to the limits just trying to keep
order, let alone find a serial killer." He looked penetratingly at Alex.
"I've been told you're an expert in the paranormal. You think one of our
demon "friends" did this?
Alex shrugged. "Could be. But it would be a treaty violation if it was
them. I don't even want to think about that"
"Yeah!" Cassidy said. "This treaty keeps them penned up, doesn't it.
Except for the one in Washington. You ever seen one in the flesh
Krycek?"
"Have I....." Alex hesitated, unsure of his response. "Yes, I've had a
few confrontations that you might call interesting...."
Sean drowsed, enclosed in pleasant warmth. He couldn't remember exactly
how, but he had ended up in bed, with a body lying next to his, a
muscular arm wrapped round his waist, and a strong presence pressed up
against him reassuringly, along the length of his back. He had such a
feeling of contentment. And he knew that it was Kulain.
Why had he fought so hard against this sweetness? He must have been
crazy.
Something vaguely wrong began to impinge on his consciousness. A
buzzing, crackling noise just on the edge of his perceptions. Not in
itself alarming, but misplaced in the snug world of Kulain's embrace.
Something he had forgotten...?
What was that noise?
It was no use. Now that it was on his mind, he would have to solve the
mystery. His mindset demanded it. He pushed at the heaviness of
Kulain's arm, intending to climb out of the bed and track down the
noise.
The door burst inwards, and Liz, his partner on tonight's operation
burst in, gun held ready.
Shit! He had missed the five o'clock check in. The full security sweep
would have been initiated.
And he saw the small headset he usually wore, lying on the floor at
Liz's feet, alive with the static of his team calling out responses to
the security alert. He couldn't even remember losing it, in the heat of
his passion.
Liz stood still, disbelieving, unable to take in what she saw before
her. Her friend and supervisor in bed with his client, who just happened
to be a demon, and one of the most infamous beings alive. She lowered
her gun slowly, and spoke a quick assurance into her mike, letting the
team know there was an all clear. No threat.
Kulain sat up langourously, and gently rested his hands on Sean's
shoulders. He inspected Liz coolly, then gave a wicked smile. And placed
a kiss on Sean's shoulder, just where it met his neck. Sean couldn't
help it. Kulain knew how to play his body like a musical instrument, and
Sean arched up sensuously against the conquering mouth, moaning at the
surge of fire those lips trailed over his skin.
Liz gasped, and abruptly turned and fled into the outer suite.
Pulling away from Kulain was one of the hardest things Sean had ever
done. And in the end, he knew he had only succeeded because Kulain let
him go. Dazed at the speed events were taking, he fumbled on his
clothes, and followed his colleague out of the room.
Kulain smiled fondly at his latest possession. Sean was one of the
most responsive humans he had ever met. With a delightful naivete when
it came to penetrative sex. But a vast enthusiasm once he understood
what was required. Kulain eagerly anticipated the pleasures to come.
Sean grabbed his colleague by the shoulder as she walked towards the
door of the suite.
"Listen Liz. I can explain....."
"Explain! Sleeping with a client while you're on duty! Him! You must be
crazy Sean!"
"No," he shook his head. "It's not like that at all. I love him!" The
admission seemed to stun her. Hearing himself speak the three betraying
words, Sean felt a growing wonder. It was true, he did love Kulain. When
or how it had happened, he wasn't sure, but it was probably about the
time Kulain had saved his life, fiercely defending him when he had hurt
his leg. Had it really happened so quickly? Now what was he going to do?
"A one night stand, Sean! You are crazy!"
"Please Liz. Don't report this.... I need time to think this out....."
He was close to pleading.
"You endangered us all Sean. I cant just ignore that. You're not the
only one who needs to consider their position." Liz stormed out of the
suite.
Liz Shore was furious. How could Sean throw away his career like that?
She found it hard to believe that a man with an ex wife and small
daughter could suddenly discover he preferred men. Was Kulain
responsible for Sean's lapse, playing some kind of demon mind game to
amuse himself? She felt out of her depth. Though she didn't want to
betray her friend, she had to act, for his sake. Dialling the
headquarters of the Diplomatic Protection Squad, and asked to speak to
the head of their department. Such was their respect for her abilities
that her call was forwarded immediately. Then began the hardest
conversation of her career.
The Cigarette Smoking man had an unexpected visitor. The one person he
had never expected to see here voluntarily. It quite put the plot he was
hatching around Sean out of his mind. He indicated to his attractive
guest to sit, and steepled his fingers in front of him, waiting. Mrs.
Mulder finally tired of his mind games, and glared at him in anger.
"You could have told me what my son was up to, before he got so involved
with that monster in the Green Tower. It was bad enough meeting his
first boyfriend, Alex. But I'm damned if I'm going to allow that monster
in my home again. I saw what he wanted from my son. What he made Fox do,
on his knees.....! Disgusting! I want him away from my son! I've given a
daughter to the aliens, I'm not giving a son to the demons!"
"It's too late my dear. The moment Kulain touched Mulder, it was too
late. I can do nothing."
"You've forgotten the pact we made all those years ago. The aliens swore
to protect us. We paid a high enough price for it."
"They might listen. But they have their own agenda. You might not like
their solutions."
"That's just another thing I'll have to live with."
Alex prowled the vast amusement centre on the ground floor of the
Tropical Palace Hotel, looking for anything at all that was out of the
ordinary. He and the other agents assigned to the case could do little
else at the moment. But two of the bodies had shown evidence of being
here, they had both been carrying chips issued at this casino, one man
having in excess of five thousand dollars worth. And the latest victim
was a registered guest. So Alex had decided to check out the higher
stakes area. Green eyes restlessly surveyed the milling crowds,
extending senses to try and discern any wrongness. Alex knew that he
would feel another demon, if he was close enough. And after seeing the
pathetic corpses the killer had discarded, like cast off clothes, he
wanted to catch the son of a bitch.
He made one wrong assumption though. Since, statistically, a huge
percentage of serial murder was committed by male offenders, he was
unconsciously looking for a man.
The killer watched him pass, turning to track the sleek, predatory
animal who was Alex Krycek. He had changed since she last saw him.
Kulain must have been tinkering with his genes again she mused. Last
time he had been out of his depth and scared, as his body was just
beginning to accept and adapt to its new modifications. But now,
unconsciously, he wore his demon self like a cloak. There was an aura of
danger that lingered around him, and his movements were supple and
deadly. There was a new confidence about him though, that convinced her
he had never faced an opponent quite of her calibre.
Oh, this was getting better and better. How easy it had proved to tempt
one of Kulain's little pets here. And one as delicious as Alex Krycek.
The stronger he was, the longer he would last when he was finally in her
power. She turned away from the surveillance camera that was tracking
his every move, and gave an instruction to one of her staff. An
ambitious girl who knew how to please her boss in many ways, and whose
loyalty had been assured. Then she rose and went to the window
overlooking her domain. After she had convinced the local Mafia leaders
to trust her, by various amusing tactics, she had gradually built up her
empire. So that now she was the richest being in Nevada, and the owner
of the Tropical Palace complex. Tiamat looked out over the buildings
towards the setting sun and the desert. Where a new ally awaited, who
had invited her to a meeting that night. And when she returned.......
Alex!
The call to report back to his head office in London was not unexpected.
But Sean was disappointed nonetheless. Liz had chosen career over
friendship. And he guessed that once the news of his small scandal
leaked out, he wouldn't have any friends at all. Not because he was with
a man, or even because he had let his squad down. But because Kulain
wasn't human.
They hadn't even given him time to collect his things from the hotel. He
was just bundled into a car and driven away at top speed, so that his
disgrace couldn't embarrass the government any further. The men in the
car with him were silent for the whole journey, ignoring his attempts to
reason with them. They looked hard and ruthless, the sort of men that
were asked to take charge of dirty secrets and dispose of them. Sean was
unarmed, and he began to feel more and more uneasy as the journey
progressed, ever southwards from the Northern counties, to the lusher,
greener downs of Wessex. To the biological and chemical weapons research
facility at Porton Down.
"What the hell....?" Sean stared at the signs on the security gate, as
the car was waved past the checkpoint. He started to reach forward,
intending to speak to the driver, something sharp jabbed into his arm
and he knew no more.
Alex had spent six hours prowling the public areas of the vast casino
complex that was run by the hotel. And had come up with absolutely no
leads. Now, as midnight approached, he was tired and irritable, and he
decided to catch a couple of hours sleep. He had arranged for a room in
the hotel, and had moved his stuff in earlier. At least he would be on
the scene, if need be.
Just as he turned to head to his room, the sound of his mobile dragged
his attention away from the much anticipated shower and rest. It was his
contact, Cassidy.
"There's been another killing, Agent Krycek! This time they didn't even
bother to move the body out of the complex. It was just left in one of
the service corridors. Level E, zone 14. Just like the others, used up
then crushed to death!"
"I'll be right there!" Alex slipped his mobile into his pocket and
headed for the service lift. The killing had unluckily occurred at the
other side of the complex.
Cassidy was a good investigator. Alex had little doubt that the latest
murder was linked to the others. But he had sensed nothing amiss in all
the hours he had prowled the huge complex. No tug of his senses or
feelings of tension that would indicate something hellish stalked the
corridors. Could it be a human killer? But his instincts all told him
the opposite. His opponent was being careful then, avoiding attention,
despite its taste for human flesh. It was almost as if it knew where he
was, and deliberately kept out of his way......
His arrival at the crime scene interrupted that train of thought.
Cassidy was bent over the pathetic, crumpled remains of a young blonde
man, poking at them dubiously, puzzled by something. Alex joined him.
"See that!" Cassidy said. "It looks like whatever crushed him was
covered with something rough, like sandpaper, maybe. He indicated the
shredded shirt that partially covered the victim's chest.
"Not sandpaper!" Alex said softly. He lifted his head, as a trace of
something other prickled at the edge of his perception. "Scales!"
Alex rose to his feet, lithe and incredibly agile, his movements taking
on an unmistakably inhuman quality. His eyes had flared green, and he
felt the instinctive extension of demon talons from his fingertips.
Cassidy had cried out in shock, had stared at Alex like the archetypal
sheep ready for the slaughter. Of course! They hadn't seen demon
abilities much in this part of the country. But he couldn't hide his
instinctive reaction to his opponent, the hackle-raising involuntary
reaction between two predators who clashed in the same domain. Demons
were above all, territorial, and he was invading this one's space.
Alex grinned wryly at Cassidy, the effect not entirely reassuring, since
there was a predatory air about him that made humans shiver in fear.
"Yeah, well! Some of us can pass as human when we want to." He lifted
his head, eyes half closed, seeking the Other. A faint tug to the left.
"Our killer is that way. He's finally showing himself. I'll try to track
him."
Cassidy shivered, then pulled his scrambled thoughts together.
"Who are you really, Krycek? You cant work for the F.B.I."
Alex shrugged. "I do most days. But I guess the Lord of Washington calls
the shots in the end." He realised that Kulain did rule him, in his
heart anyway. Maybe when this was over, he would try to patch things up
with his lover. He was always drawn back to those strong arms in the
end.
"I'll let you know if I get him. Don't worry if you don't hear from me.
I can look after myself quite well these days." Then Alex took off in a
run down the corridor, shifting his body to tap into demon energy
reserves, leaving the cops and crime scene workers gaping at him.
Sean had awoken hours after his arrival at the Centre, naked and lying
on an examination table, with a throbbing headache. He was in an
isolation chamber, surrounded by doctors dressed in white bio-suits. A
sign on the wall read "Level 4 Biohazard Area." Dizzily, he let the
medical personnel do what tests they wanted, his sense of betrayal by
Liz growing stronger. And twice, a needle was pushed into his arm,
releasing an unknown drug into his body to keep him docile.
Finally, he was dressed in some blue garments that resembled paper but
were far stronger. He guessed it was so that they could be burned
easily. Dizzy and slightly disorientated by the drugs in his system, he
was led by the same suited figures to an office, and was brought in
front of an authority figure.
"Mr Sean Worrell," the man read. "A distinguished career in the
Bodyguard business, until last night. Do you have any idea what you've
done? You've put everyone around you at risk from a biological agent
that the demons carry."
He flung some grim photos down in front of Sean. They showed a young
blonde woman progressively turning into some kind of monster.
"Your boyfriend Kulain, His bite did that! It created some kind of
infection that altered her genetic code beyond all recognition. We think
all of his body secretions may be infectious. So you've been thoroughly
checked out for your own good, and for Britain's safety."
He paused, and sighed. "I'm sorry Mr. Worrell. Our hypothesis has been
confirmed. You've lost about twenty percent of your human genes
already!"
Sean had known that he had changed, but there was something so stark
about that statement. Slowly he raised his hands and extended his long
claws, studying them.
The doctor's response was gratifying. He recoiled in terror, and pressed
a button on the underside of his desk. Armed soldiers rushed in, and
Sean found himself staring down the barrels of half a dozen rifles.
"So what happens to me now?" he whispered softly.
Kulain stared coldly at Liz Shore, and she shivered under the intense
gaze of the demon. Kulain was becoming increasingly hostile and his
unfriendly expression had soon begun to affect the delicate negotiations
that were supposed to be the reason for this meeting. So much so that
even the Deputy Prime Minister, a consummate statesman and used to
pressure, had soon begun to wilt under that inimical stare. A bit like a
canary being watched by a cat. Kulain said nothing, merely listening to
the humans' increasingly nervous babble. Finally, even the least
sensitive of the politicians fell silent, swallowing nervously.
"Where is he?" Kulain said quietly.
Alex prowled the service corridors now, trying to track down the
irritating and elusive presence that he had sensed earlier. But like a
ghost, the Other kept retreating before him, taunting him with its
closeness one moment, then vanishing the next. Alex abruptly remembered
his earlier suspicions about the killer, how it knew so easily where he
was, even when they were out of range of each other's senses. Wary now,
he glanced around him, and noticed what he had overlooked before, the
internal security cameras for the hotel, that were tracking his every
move. Doubt hardened into a certainty. Someone on the hotel staff was
involved, possibly even the killer.
Alex headed for the control centre, the electronic heart of the hotel,
for the moment ignoring the sense of the Other he felt near him. And
within minutes, he felt the Other change tactics, and withdraw from his
perception for the moment. Alex hesitated on the threshold of the
Security Centre. Better not scare the humans round here. He quickly
shifted back to humanity, hiding his demon self from view with more than
a little regret. Like Mulder, he found himself drawn more and more to
the exhilarating rush of demon blood, the enhanced demon senses that
shifting brought. He could understand now how easily Mulder had lost
control, and he was determined to talk out their problems when he got
back to Washington, and home.
Predictably, the Security Chief was outraged when Alex questioned his
staffs' veracity. As if he was personally being challenged. But
something in his voice didn't ring true. Even if the man was telling the
truth, Alex suspected he knew something else, that he was reluctant to
discuss here in front of everyone. Then the Chief hissed quietly, "Meet
me in ten minutes, outside!"
He was much more forthcoming in private.
"Something's going on around here alright. There have been big payoffs,
and a few disappearances of people who get too curious. Someone powerful
is involved. Go ask Tanya Bright, she's got plenty to hide!"
Alex finally had a solid lead, so he headed up towards the penthouse
offices of Tanya Bright, the owner of the hotel. He had heard a lot
about her in the few days he had spent here. A tireless worker and a
thoroughly modern businesswoman, with a knack for twisting men round her
little finger. So it was said. But he had sensed a nervousness about
her, that he had dismissed as a wariness of losing their jobs, from the
people he had questioned.
The penthouse offices were utterly luxurious. Deep pile carpeting,
velvet drapes, and richly veined green serpentinite marble, imported
from Cornwall, England. Beautiful, so why did it make him feel as if he
was inside a lizard's mouth?
The secretary, a petite blonde woman wearing an exquisite Italian suit,
was apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Agent Krycek. Ms. Bright isn't in at the moment. She had
business to attend to, north of here. A new merger, I understand. She'll
be back this evening though, if you want to schedule an appointment."
Alex nodded, and turned to inspect the expensive artwork on the walls,
as she checked her appointment diary. His attention was caught by a
particularly repulsive old master on the wall opposite. It showed a
representation of Dante's Inferno, something he remembered reading over
Mulder's shoulder one day when his lover was eager to know more about
demons. It showed a particularly nasty set of tortures devised for
sinners by the imaginative mediaeval mind. Alex wondered what sort of
mind would want that for their office.
"I can fit you in at six thirty," the secretary said with a sweet smile,
when he once again turned towards her. She reached out her hand, and he
grasped it politely, intending to thank her.
Something tiny jabbed at his right hand. Puzzled, he lifted it, to stare
at the pin prick of blood on his palm. The secretary smiled sweetly,
head on one side as she watched him. Her smile deepened, and abruptly,
the sense of the other he had felt, returned in full force. Her eyes
flared yellow. He moved towards her, intending to catch hold of her,
cuff her.
But moving was like fighting his way through thick syrup, as if the air
had turned solid. Then the office seemed to tilt. He found himself lying
on the floor, with no clear memory of how he got there. His hand was
throbbing, but even that was fading now. The last thing he heard was her
charming musical laughter, then it too was gone.
Alex awoke, disorientated. He couldn't seem to remember where he was, or
how he had got there. Had he been drinking vodka last night? His body
ached, and for some reason, his arms appeared to be stuck. Gradually his
mind cleared, and he opened his eyes to stared around him. That was when
he received the first shock. He was in a small room, utterly bare, with
walls of exposed concrete blocks. It was quite chill, and in the
distance he could hear the hum of a generator. He was awkwardly lying on
a hard wooden bunk.
His wrists were both cuffed to the wall above his head.
For a moment Alex went wild, frantically tugging and trying to free
himself. Trying to loosen the steel links that held him, like a wolf in
a trap. He felt momentary panic, then sense reasserted itself. Mulder
and Kulain would search for him if he didn't return Mulder's calls.
Besides, if his unknown captors had wanted to kill him, he would be dead
by now. He was obviously useful in some way. It wasn't the first time in
Alex's career that he had been in such an unpromising situation.
Whoever had captured him knew how to hold demon prisoners, because they
had used the special damned cuffs that the FBI had developed with Kulain
and Amara's help. So his strength was useless.
The door opened. Alex looked up, intending to try and talk his way out
of this mess. And found himself staring straight at Tiamat.
She enjoyed the way Krycek's eyes suddenly went very wide, his lips
silently forming her name. He shrank back against the wall, as far away
from her as possible. Of course his cuffed wrists limited his movement,
and he couldn't go far. She savoured the triumph for a while, and sank
onto the edge of his bunk, smiling in anticipation.
He moaned a little, delightfully. Someone should really teach him demon
etiquette, he was unconsciously triggering all of her hunt/kill
instincts by his frightened movements.
"Serve me Alex. I can give you half the world."
"Never!" he whispered. "Just kill me. Why don't you get it over with?"
"Alex, my sweet Alex. Serve me and I'll set you free...."
"You ought to know by now how loyal I am to Kulain! You know I'll never
betray him."
Such defiance. Such fire. He would be so entertaining in the taming. She
drew out the small container her ally had given her. Enough for one, he
had said. Who better to act as an experimental subject?
"We'll see, dear Alex." She unfastened the lid of the container. "Sure
you won't reconsider?" He spat out a denial, and laughing, she up-ended
the container onto the bed.
Alex stared disbelievingly at the pool of black oil that formed on the
wooden surface. His face blenched, and to her delight, Tiamat heard him
whimper softly. The oil slowly began to run towards the agent. Alex
shook his head instinctively in denial, then suddenly he was screaming
in terror, desperately trying to escape, wrenching at the cuffs again
and again, until his wrists were cut and bleeding.
The black oil touched his foot.
Abruptly, the oil took on a life of its own, splitting into dozens of
leech-like units that slid across his skin and up towards its goal, his
brain. Alex desperately tried to get them off him, scraping at them as
best he could. All his efforts were useless. His whimpers increased, and
to her delight he began to beg.
Alex felt as if he was in a bad dream. Not that foulness again. That
terrible darkness that resided in his head and controlled him like a
puppet. He sobbed again.
"Please, no............No. Oh God, no......"
It reached his face, and the opening it had sought. Alex tried to clamp
his mouth shut, but then the foul oil was pouring into his body through
his nostrils. He made one last feeble attempt, then his body was being
invaded. He hadn't remembered how much it hurt, to have something force
its way through sinuses, tubes and bone, into his brain. His body
shuddered once, then all bodily responses were taken over, and the world
receded to a floating misty blur.
That was the hateful thing about the oil aliens. That you could remember
exactly what happened while they used your body
But yesterday the word of Caesar might have stood against the world: now
lies he there. And none so poor to do him reverence.
William Shakespeare—Julius Caesar.
Sean was drifting in pleasant warmth, not really sure where he was, or
how he had got there. He was lying on a soft, comfortable surface, and
though he should have been bothered by his ignorance, his thoughts felt
distant and vaguely confused. He felt the fog drift over his mind, and
the sense of wrongness increased.
No..... Kulain....? Feels so strange....
"He's burning the Pentathol off at an incredible rate! More than three
times as fast as a normal human! I'm going to have to up the dosage."
"You don't know what effect that will have!"
"It's the only thing we have that'll keep him quiet. None of the other
drugs seem to work on his altered metabolism. We think he has a couple
of extra genes added to his nervous system to enhance it, make it far
more efficient than a normal human's."
The voices drifted through the fog. He wanted to tell them that yes, his
body was better now. He wanted to show them how much he could please
them. Then the sting in his arm again. It had come so many times now
that he was beginning to feel like a human pincushion. He tried to
protest.
No! I want to wake up...... Please....
Somehow, the words never reached his lips. Already the voices were
slipping away into the distance again, becoming blurred and indistinct.
And he no longer cared enough to try and follow them.
Kulain sat, arms folded, curiously human, appearing distinctly annoyed
at the machinations of the humans around him. Liz Shore had been
assigned the job of head bodyguard after Sean's hasty removal. She was
beginning to wish she had requested a transfer. Being near an angry
demon wasn't an experience she craved. Kulain had simply sat in aloof
silence after his icy demand for Sean's return. And she, for one, wasn't
going to challenge him.
The head of security, her boss, had arrived, and had given Kulain some
bullshit about Sean being transferred to another location in London. The
green eyes had narrowed, and one hand had deliberately reached out to
rest on the table. A long talon had extended before the wide eyed man,
and had begun to carve a groove into the hard wood of the table. No
words, no angry displays, but Liz thought he had made his point quite
well.
The politicians had been the next to try and pacify the demon lord. It
had been pointed out to Kulain that he had no jurisdiction over a
British citizen, and one of the ministers had complained that Kulain was
holding up the negotiations. Even Liz could have told him that the
tactic was a mistake. Something hot flared in the demon's gaze, and he
had smashed his fist deliberately down into the wooden table, splitting
the two inch thick mahogany as if it was cardboard. The minister had
cowered in fear, but the demon had merely stared.
Liz felt a reluctant admiration for his patience. Few humans could have
put up with that cowardly lot for very long, especially when they
insisted on spouting such bilge.
And it surprised her that Kulain actually seemed to care what had
happened to Sean. She would have expected him to forget about his one
night stand fairly quickly. Even she wasn't exactly sure what had been
done with Sean, he certainly wasn't answering at his apartment.
Finally, a man she recognised as the head of the security services was
ushered in. They were apparently bringing in the heavy guns. Green demon
eyes appraised the new visitor with interest. Finally, Kulain deigned to
speak.
"You have something of mine! I want him back. Or I could show you what
an angry demon is really like. So far I have been patient, but perhaps a
small demonstration is in order."
So it wasn't that he loved Sean. He seemed more interested in making a
point, that he was due respect. Then a circle of fire appeared between
his hands, and he drew his fingers wider apart. Something began to
whistle, and a breeze impossibly tugged at her cheek.
"I have the ability to open gates, to travel where I will. But some
gates open onto the darkness of space, and suck matter into its vacuum.
Shall I open such a gate now? Air is only the first thing it will take!"
Liz realised that what she could feel was the air being drawn out of the
room in a rush, through that smallest of gaps in his fingers.
"Alright!" The Security chief nodded. "We can bring him to you. But I
need a day!"
"You have six hours!" Kulain closed his hands, and the warp in space
disappeared. "Get out! Leave me alone, your human presence offends me!"
All the humans fled, grateful to be away from him. So none of them saw
the look of utter exhaustion that he displayed, his body all but drained
of energy by his spectacular but foolish demonstration.
Sean felt the mists begin to clear in his mind, becoming lighter, as
his level of consciousness increased. A voice seemed to be calling his
name, distantly. He moaned slightly, trying to fight the heaviness of
his body, the ache in his limbs from being immobile for too long.
Painfully slowly, he felt his awareness of the surrounding world
increase.
"Sean? Can you hear me?" A man asked.
"Uh-huh." he mumbled.
"There are some things you need to help us with Sean. You want to do
that, don't you?"
The question seemed so reasonable. Sean nodded, opened his eyes and
tried to focus on the speaker.
"Don't worry Sean. You've been sick for a while, but you're getting
better now. But we need to know about Kulain...."
The voice resolved itself into a vaguely familiar face, and smiled
reassuringly at Sean.
"O'kay.... Sure. 'Lane's so good....... Warm.....Mmmmm"
"No Sean. Tell us about the special things he can do. Like gates."
"Dunno. Never seen that." Sean frowned in puzzlement. "So good when he
holds me....."
"What about the other demons Sean? What are they planning?" The man
became more insistent
"Fox....? Wants Alex back...... Alex loves him too. Stupid mess because
I got in the way.....Sorry..." A tear rolled down Sean's cheek.
"Shouldn't have let him touch me...."
A hand grabbed Sean's shoulders, shook him roughly. "We don't want to
know about your fucking love life, you damn traitor. What do the demons
want in Britain. Tell me now!" A slap stung the bodyguard's face. "What
does Kulain want here?"
Bewildered and disoriented, Sean stared fearfully at his interrogator.
"Me....," he whispered.
With a snarl of disgust, his body was released. "He doesn't know
anything important Sir. With the amount of Pentathol he's had, he'd be
singing like a canary by now, if he knew anything!"
"Dose him again anyway. It keeps him manageable."
Kulain had sat, immobile and inhumanly patient for hours now, waiting
for the time he had demanded that Sean be returned to him. Liz,
predictably, had been given responsibility for the security detail.
Though she knew by now that she could not have opposed the demon if he
decided to kill a few humans. Maybe slow him for a few seconds, but
that's all. Then the demon slowly lifted his head, as if he sensed
something beyond her ability to detect. A faint smile warmed his face,
which had been as cold and stony as a sculpture.
The door opened and Sean was brought in. Liz let out her breath in
relief, though until then, she hadn't even been aware of how tense she
was. Then she saw the condition Sean was in, and a cold knot of fury
ignited inside her.
They had to drag him, his legs weren't working properly, and his
expression was slack, and empty of the sparkling life she had always
admired in him. He was dumped in a chair opposite the demon, and his
head connected helplessly with the table, as he slumped forward. Two
security men with armalites stood behind him. Sean's hands feebly
scrabbled on the polished surface of the table, trying to push himself
upright.
With a curse, Liz pushed past the two soldiers, and wrapped an arm
around her friend, supporting him. His face flickered with gratitude,
then he leaned against her side and closed his eyes
Kulain watched, unmoving and apparently unmoved. Then it was just a test
on his part, to see if they would run to do his bidding. His emerald
eyes turned to the Deputy Prime Minister, who was watching nervously.
"I am satisfied. You have returned what is mine. I agree to all of your
terms. Now get out. And take your pet soldiers with you!"
Liz abruptly found herself alone with Kulain and Sean. The demon rose
from his seat, inhumanly agile, and approached her. Gentle fingers
carefully ran over the bruised face, and Liz gasped as the injury
vanished totally. Then she was carefully, but firmly pushed away from
Sean. Kulain wrapped his arms around his human, and buried his face in
Sean's dark hair.
"Little one. You've come back to me!"
Sean raised his eyes, and the most joyous expression she had ever seen
shone there. Yet Sean had never been one to give his trust easily.
Feebly, he managed to hug back.
"I love you!" he said simply.
Then before Liz Shore's amazed gaze, Kulain lifted his lover, and the
light flared impossibly around them. Then they were gone, and she was
alone in the conference room.
Tiamat laughed softly, and reached out to stroke Alex's cheek. The green
eyed agent smiled back at her, wholly hers now. The alien inside him was
proving to be a fast learner, and had quickly perceived her ambition to
be at least the equal of its own. It was quite content to go along with
her ideas for the moment. And cause the ruination of the two greatest
threats to the domination of its own kind. The demon lord Kulain, and
his far too inquisitive lover, Fox Mulder. Besides, Alex's body was
proving to be far more intriguing than a normal host's. Such energy, and
power for destruction. It examined its long claws thoughtfully.
"You know what I want?" Tiamat checked. Her ally nodded. "Go ahead!" she
purred.
Alex dialled Mulder's mobile, and smiled when the hapless fool answered.
"Foxy, its me. Alex. I'll be back in Washington late tonight. I hope
you're keeping everything on ice till then?"
"Oh yes!" Mulder sounded transparently happy. "Do you want anything
special?"
"I'm going to need a really special effort from you tonight Foxy.
Nothing but the best! Let's see if you can manage that, huh?"
Mulder's tone became puzzled and slightly offended. "If that's what you
want Alex. Sure."
"Good. Let's not be so average tonight. See if you can spice things up a
bit, this time!"
"I want to make you happy, Alex!" Mulder was hurt by his partner's
slightly insulting tone. Troubled, he ended the call. He determined that
nothing was going to give Alex the slightest cause for complaint
tonight, and began to busy himself. Everything was going to be perfect.
Tiamat laughed softly at the grinning Alex. Blackness swirled through
the agent's eyes. This was so good. They would twist the screws on
Mulder, until he broke. She had long known that he was Kulain's one
greatest weakness.
Mulder was having a bad day. First his mother had called and all but
chewed his ear off about, "that horrible demon you're living with." It
had taken him hours to calm her down, finally promising to take her to
lunch in Washington next week, "without Kulain."
Then he had that weird call from Alex. Such loaded statements. That
somehow ended up making him feel depressed, despite the fact that he had
wanted Alex back for so many weeks now. Still, everything was ready,
From Alex's favourite vodka chilling in the icebox, to that sweet almond
scented massage oil he loved. Surely nothing could go wrong now!
Wrong again. There was a sudden flare of brightness in the centre of the
Tower room, and Kulain appeared, clutching Sean. Mulder stared at the
demon in astonishment. Then Sean slithered out of his grasp and swayed
unsteadily. He took a step towards Mulder, and then fell forward against
him, giggling helplessly.
He was drugged out of his mind on something.
Mulder threw a questioning glance at the demon, who shrugged in
bemusement.
"They gave him something to keep him under control," Kulain said. "It
appears to have some side effects."
Sean snorted with laughter, then wrapped his arms around Mulder's neck
tightly.
"You're cute! Wanna have some fun like last time, brown eyes?" Then he
was kissing Mulder fiercely. Mulder pushed him away nervously,
remembering last time. Then he realised Kulain was watching him with
more than a little amusement. He glared back.
"Listen! Alex is due back soon. Keep him out of the way. Please.... I
need this to work." He shivered, longing for his lover more than he had
words to express. Kulain moved closer and his fingers rested
supportively on his Fox's shoulder for a moment.
"You know I will. I'm not blind Fox. I know you love him most. I love
him too!"
It was the closest Kulain had ever come to humanity. He gently brushed a
lonely tear away from Mulder's cheek. We'll keep out of the way, but if
you need me..... I'll always be here.
So Mulder sat in the half darkness, waiting in lonely vigil for his
beloved.
It was nearly midnight when Mulder's face lit up as he saw the door open
and Alex enter. He radiated happiness and love, and flung himself
forward, wrapping himself around his beloved, clutching him tight.
"Oh Alex! I've missed you so much! You don't know what it does to me
when we're apart. When you called, when you were worried about me, I
knew we'd be together again. I love you so much!"
Mulder was so buoyant that he was almost babbling, exhilarated at having
Alex back again. He rested his head against Alex's chest and held on to
him.
Alex made no attempt to return the embrace.
Puzzled, Mulder lifted his head, and found himself watched with coldly
appraising eyes. Bewildered, he stepped back, releasing his grip.
"Alex? I don't understand. Did I do something wrong? Are you still angry
at me?"
"You could say that. You really think I'd ever want you again. You must
be crazy!" Mulder flinched, disbelieving, and shook his head in mute
denial. "I have someone else now. You're no comparison. Someone who can
give me something you can't. A family." Fox Mulder had paled as Alex
continued to taunt him.
"I've met an incredible woman. She makes you look so pathetic, its
depressing to think about. How could I have wasted all that time with
you? A demon's whore, that's all you are Fox. A pitiful offering from
the government to keep Kulain happy and occupied. You disgust me!"
With each insult, Mulder shrank backwards, until he was up against the
wall. His face was utterly colourless, and tears were creeping down his
face.
"Please.....Alex......"
"Do you know something. I think you're so desperate you'd do anything to
keep me. Am I right?"
Mulder nodded slowly, mutely pleading with Alex to stop his hateful
scorn.
"Go on then, beg! Maybe if you do it well enough, I might stay with
you!"
"I......I'll do anything you want. I'll let you do anything. What do you
want me to do?"
Alex laughed cruelly.
"Let's see you on your knees Foxy. Are you any good at pleading?"
Something seemed to crumple inside Mulder. His legs folded under him,
leaving him sprawled on the floor in front of Alex. He bowed his head to
hide the tears that flooded down his cheeks. When he finally found the
strength to look at Alex, his eyes were reddened and he was shaking.
"Please....." Barely a whisper. "Stay with me...."
Alex grinned callously.
"You know Foxy. She didn't believe how low you would sink to keep me. I
told her and she wouldn't believe me. We'll really have a good laugh
about it later. My pathetic Fox. Get a life! You won't be seeing me
again."
"No!" Mulder screamed in utter despair. He lunged forward, and wrapped
his arms around Alex's legs, still on his knees. Alex watched the feeble
display in open contempt.
"Let go of me! Why prolong the inevitable?" Mulder, whimpering, clung
tighter. His world dissolving into tatters around him, he tried to cling
to the one man who he had always loved. Alex.
"Where's your dignity Foxy?" Alex snarled, then drew his fist back and
smashed it into his former lover's face. Stunned, Mulder let go, lifting
his hand to his bleeding nose, aghast. He looked so bewildered, as he
regarded the blood staining his fingers. The last of his strength
vanished, and he fell, sobbing to the floor, and lay in a crumpled heap,
his love all but annhialated.
Alex smiled in satisfaction. Perfect, and so easy.
"What....?" Kulain had entered, expecting to see his two humans wrapped
in each other's arms. Mulder had seemed so hopeful recently. And now he
was a wreck, huddled, unseeing and unresponsive, crying as if his heart
was broken.
"Alex! What have you done?" Knowing his tempestuous young lover so well,
Kulain found it difficult to believe that he would harm Mulder. Alex
grinned cheekily, momentarily the delightful free spirit both of his
partners loved so much. But the vicious kick he aimed at Mulder's side
shocked his demon lover as a thousand demon slayings couldn't.
"You can keep this pathetic piece of shit. I've had a better offer.
Someone not quite as used up and boring." In a dramatic gesture, he
ripped the golden ring from his finger, and flung it into Mulder's face.
If Mulder had been desolate before, it was nothing to what he felt now.
With an animal noise of pain, he doubled over, rocking himself back and
forth in distress.
Kulain's eyes went incandescent with rage. With incredible speed, his
hands encountered Alex Krycek's neck, and the younger man was slammed up
against the wall by the enraged demon.
"Go ahead, kill me if you want to!" Alex glared defiantly at him. "I'm
not afraid of you any more. But you'll never have me again, And neither
will he."
For a moment, it seemed as though Kulain would strike him with the long
talons that had fully extended from his fingertips, in his rage. Readied
for a disembowelling stroke .
"No..... let him go...." Mulder's tearful whisper was the only thing
that could have saved Alex at that point. With a baffled look at his
other partner, Kulain slowly released Alex.
"Get out Krycek! Because of what we once had...... you may live. I
withdraw my protection from you. You are less than nothing to me. If I
ever see you near us again, I will kill you where you stand, you filth."
"Big threat!" Alex said mockingly. "As if I cared." Jauntily, he made
his way to the door. Just before he exited, he turned and surveyed the
two who watched him.
"Just to set the record straight, I never loved you. You were useful,
that's all." With a wink at Mulder, he left. Neither of his victims saw
the swirl of black that momentarily covered his eyes.
Kulain turned to Mulder and dropped to his knees beside the huddled man.
He drew his Fox into the comfort of his arms, not even moving from their
position in the middle of the floor. His wordless comforting murmurs
offered what solace he could to the distressed man. Mulder clutched at
him, desolately, staring blindly into space, seeing unguessed at
horrors. For a while, contemplating a final, certain end to his pain.
Finally, when his body was growing stiff with discomfort at their
awkward position, Mulder raised his eyes to his lovers'.
Why was it a surprise when he found Kulain's face marked with tears too?
Kulain had depths of emotion within him that Mulder had barely seen
before. The demon gently caressed his lover's cheek, smoothing away the
salty wetness.
"I didn't know it could hurt so much to love someone." Kulain sighed,
and brushed his lips across Mulder's forehead. "I need you!" A hoarse
whisper, but Mulder heard it all the same. Found within himself a reason
to keep on living.
Then Mulder's mouth captured his, as he rose from the floor, and the two
of them pulled each other closer. Falling into a maelstrom of desire and
a craving for each other that was born of the emptiness that Alex had
left behind him. A place he had ripped open inside their hearts. Both of
them, by common consent, finding their way to the bedroom. Falling
together onto silken sheets, Mulder cradled protectively in his lover's
arms. Holding each other as passion and tears mixed. Mulder rode on top
of Kulain's body, impaling himself, deliberately using himself harshly,
needing the discomfort to distract him from the other, more intense
pain. Kulain seemed to realise what he desired, and for the rest of the
night he was given no time to think, no time to brood. And especially,
no time to dream. For the moment, only wanting a distraction which
Kulain provided. Fucking Mulder over and over, whether the agent came or
not, until Mulder was utterly exhausted, and even Kulain, with all his
appetites, was sated. And himself distracted.
And throughout their lovemaking, Mulder's hand clung, in a death-grip,
to a small gold circlet.
Finally, Kulain saw his Fox sag in fatigue, his eyes closing
involuntarily. Gentle arms cradled him in protection, there was nothing
Kulain wouldn't do to keep Mulder safe. To guard against all threats.
Yet the sleep that came in the end was far from dreamless.
Alex doubled over in agony and vomited until he felt his insides would
come loose, as vast quantities of vile black fluid poured out of his
body. When the heaves finally ceased, he sagged back, exhausted, onto
the familiar bunk, his arms once again imprisoned by the damned cuffs.
The black oil gathered itself, and migrated into its container. Tiamat
squealed in glee.
"Beautiful, wasn't it Alex! Such a good ally, this one. I will have
fun!" She reached out and petted his cheek. The young agent recoiled,
disgust warring with intense hatred in his eyes.
"So much fire Alex. Are you sure you won't serve me? Mulder and Kulain
won't ever have you back now!"
"Never. I'll kill you, I swear it! For what you've done..."
"No, Alex. For what you did!" She tittered, a mad, unnatural sound, then
licked her lips. I'm going to have you Alex. You're so much stronger
than the other humans. We were just made for each other.... I've seen
the way you look at me when you think I'm not watching. It's obvious you
want me!" With another giggle, she left, carrying her dark ally.
It was then that Alex had a revelation. She was completely and utterly
insane. There was no reason or logic to her beliefs. No way to predict
her next action. And now there was no-one who could help him, because
the two beings he loved most in the world had turned their backs on him.
And after what the oil alien had made him do, he couldn't blame them.
Even now, the thought of Mulder's pain filled him with a desperate
anguish. He kept seeing those horror filled hazel eyes staring at him in
torment, as his trust in Alex died. He wanted to run to Fox, beg him on
his knees for forgiveness and hold him so tight they would never be
apart again.
Staring into the bare little room that was the new limit of his world,
Alex could see no way out, and no hope. Leaning his head back against
the wall, and shifting his position slightly in a vain effort to find a
more comfortable position, Alex Krycek began to cry.
Dark Angel's Fire
by Megaera
Dominion
Sun Tzu—The Art of War
Broadcast of the President of the United States
21/6/2000
