Moving Forward

Lost Minds (34)

Max was patrolling. High in the strong, dense trees that lined the River property, he doubted he'd be seen by anyone who didn't know he was there. Yes, they had people and wolves guarding the grounds, but Max couldn't sit inside that house and do nothing. Not with everything that was going on. He longed to go back to his own home - his own bed, even better with Kyle in it - and do exactly that, but now wasn't a good time. So he settled for patrolling.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been out here, but when the sun began to set, his stomach growled.

To his surprise, Kyle was there, waiting on the wrap-around porch with clothes in hand, and it suddenly became a dilemma whether to change back now or after he'd greeted his mate.

Either way, the second Max was human again, he snakes his arms around Kyle and sighed. With all that was going on, how could just being in his arms make Max so happy?

"Thiago," Kyle chuckled, "you forgot the clothes."

"Why would I need clothes with you?"

Kyle's eyes darkened, the flash of lust in them almost threatening. "Put them on before I get put in jail for murder."

"Fuck, you're sexy when you get all rude." Max laughed, and did as he was told.

Kyle growled, but Max knew he wasn't in trouble. Especially as he stepped up to Kyle, and raising himself up onto his toes slightly, caught Kyle in a deep kiss.

"Want to go vent some frustration on each other?" Max brushed a tongue along Kyle's jawline.

"God yes."

The pair found themselves in Kyle's room, with the door firmly locked. Body's loathe to separate from one another, they divested each other of clothes with a speed that could only result in damaging the fabrics. They came together with a kiss that began as explosive, but burned out into something that was still hot, but soothing. They weren't here to deal out more injuries. Max no longer wanted to vent. He just wanted that sense of never alone that only Kyle could provide.

Where Kyle touched, Max melted and burned with the love he had for Kyle. Skin against skin, pushing and pulling, and calling out for one another in a way that told them I know you're with me.

Max would never get tired of this. It was sex, but it was also the affirmation that... whatever happened, they were in it together. They were bonded. Mates.

Lying in the aftermath of their lovemaking, Max wondered just how much further he could fall for Kyle. Of course, Max loved Kyle but they were still new, still learning each other; as cheesy as it sounded, Max wanted his last day to be the day that he finally saw to the bottom of Kyle's dark eyes.

Trailing fingers over Max's belly, Kyle hummed. "What're you thinkin bout?" The tired, almost-asleep haze in his voice brought out his accent.

Rather than spill his secrets - not for fear of Kyle judging him, but because they were just too much for the tender moment - Max took hold of the fingers playing with the hair of his happy trail and brought them up to press his lips against Kyle's knuckles.

"Just about how much I love you."

"Gay," Kyle murmured, and Max couldn't stop the amused snort.

When Kyle finally nodded off, Max was still awake. He couldn't sleep. Not right now. If it weren't for not knowing where all the cleaning supplies were kept he'd have the estate spotless. As it was, all he had was restless energy and nowhere to direct it.

So he got up, dressed in his fatigues, and went patrolling again. There were still wolves out - more than there were during the day - but Max stayed human. Something about not having a gun felt wrong somehow.

He had three.

The River pack knew his scent by now, so he wasn't afraid of them mistaking him for an intruder, but that little fact was irrelevant. Gillespie's wolves had no scents. No scents, no wills, no bonds.

Lights flickered on in the house. Max was too far away to hear anything, but people were rushing out of the house, looking either confused or angry. Once he was close enough to ask, all he got in return was a shrug of 'I don't know'.

"Paws!" It was Duke, rifle on his arm and guarding the front door.

"Sitrep."

"It's a madhouse in there. Spontaneous outbursts of infighting."

Inside, it was just as Duke said. Pack members fighting pack members. Even out in the courtyard, shifted werewolves fought each other - even some in human form fighting those in wolf form.

They still had their scents though. Still stunk of wolves and people and sweat.

With a faint hint of cherries.

"This is wrong," Max said, unable to look away.

Kyle. Was he affected by any of this?

Max ran back inside and up the stairs to find the dark grey-walled room that he and Kyle had spent so much time in. Kyle wasn't where he'd left him - curled up in the bed with one of four pillows because Max had claimed the other three. But he wasn't there.

All Max could manage was to stare at the bed, mind whirring. If Kyle wasn't here, then where was he? It was probably three or four in the morning. Still dark. Kyle should've still been there, keeping the bed warm whilst Max entertained his paranoia.

"Fuck."

"Kitten?" Max spun on his heel at the sound of Kyle's sleep blurred voice. "What's going on? You're dressed. I went to the bathroom and you weren't here."

"Fuck Kyle, something's going on. It's like civil war - pack fighting pack."

The longer he stood there, the more awake Kyle looked. "What happened?"

"It's still happening." Max pushed Kyle to the window. "I don't wanna say it, but they're acting like Gillespie's wolves. There's no emotion in them. They're not upset or anything, they're just fighting!"

A growl slipped out of Kyle as he watched his pack fight, and Max wasn't sure if he knew he was growling.

"What do we do?" The question was quiet, but Max needed an answer of some kind.

Kyle whipped around, running his fingers through his hair. "We find Carter first. Then my mom and Finn. Was Blake out there?"

"No I don't think so." Max chewed his lip. "He's a lion shifter, though. If he has been affected he's going to absolutely slaughter anyone who comes after him. A group would be able to take him, but not individuals."

Kyle growled again, still tugging at his hair. "Where're your brothers?"

If Kyle's pack hadn't just been brainwashed, Max would've been absolutely beaming at his team being referred to as his brothers. But Max didn't have time for that. Rather, he went rifling through his stuff to find the walkie-talkie.

"Report: locations." He ordered, and then repeated.

One by one, his team came over the radio. Duke, Manny, and Parish were in various locations around the front of the mansion, while Lola and Dime were watching the massacre unfolding in the courtyard. Bates and White were both in their beds.

"Lola, Dime, find my dad - if he's like the pack wolves, do not engage. Rejoin the team. Over."

"Copy."

"Bates, White, find Carter. Over."

"Copy that."

"The rest of you, find Amelia and Finn and keep them safe." Max took a breath. "Meet in Carter's office. Over."

"Copy that Paws." Definitely Duke's voice.

"What're we doing then?" Kyle asked, eyes intense.

Despite the situation, Max was still riding the endorphins from them having sex and seeing those eyes, all he wanted to do was drop to his knees - not helped at all by Kyle's still-pantless state.

Now was not the time. "You're going to get dressed, and then we're going to search for Gillespie. I have a feeling that Lara might be here."