A Circle Of Wolves
Chapter 4: Exploration
I returned to Circle Oak alone, my stomach hollow, the butterflies that fluttered so badly they caused my hands to tremble as I packed were all dead now. I got lost, found my way, then overshot the town's obscured entrance. I passed through town, only stopping by Mr. Boudreaux's office to get some cash. He assured me that all my bills would be paid while I lived in the house and until I took full control of the estate. He would provide me with money every week to cover any out-of-pocket expenses I might have, insisting I provide him with receipts. The local school had already been informed of my arrival and would arrange to transfer my records. All I needed to do was provide them with my current schedule and they would assign me to the appropriate classes.
Max was on hand to help me unpack the things I brought and set it all in the dining room. He looked especially hot in his gray and black uniform. I was certain he'd look even hotter if he'd been wearing his utility belt and gun. It was the first time I noticed that the five-pointed star of his uniform was inverted and mentioned it was upside down only to learn that it was supposed to be that way. The right way up had some sort of mystical or spiritual meaning, but inverted represented the material world, which was what the police department had jurisdiction over.
I felt the same electric attraction to him and became more and more convinced I knew him from somewhere. I've never felt so comfortable around anyone but Bethany. There were a few times I caught him looking at me that strongly suggested he felt something similar. It took a concerted effort on my part to not stand too close to him, afraid the draw to him would cause me to do something stupid. I was on my own here and alone until Bethany came to visit on the weekends. Friends and allies were important, and hitting on a cop I had every reason to assume was straight wouldn't be helpful.
After helping me move the dining room's large mahogany table to the wall beneath the front windows and lining the chairs around the room so I could use the room as an art studio, we replaced the stiff antique furniture in the living room with the more comfortable overstuffed furniture in the office/library adjacent to it.
He needed to get to work, but the long, fat bulge pressed firm between his hip and the trousers of his uniform told me he just needed to get away from me for a while, and I completely understood, hoping my own erection was as noticeable in my khakis. Standing in the foyer, he moved in close to me. Resting against the doorframe with on hand, and I looked into his eyes. That's when I saw the longing, the desire, and a fiery red glow of his irises, like the smoldering coals of a dying fire.
"Your eyes glow," I said impulsively, not thinking about what I just said until it was too late.
"What did you say?" he asked, brows knitted mouth tense. His voice was almost a growl. He seemed to hear it, shook his head and fled from the house like he'd just been attacked by a demon.
It was a ridiculous thing to say. People's eyes don't glow. That's not even a possibility. Yet my mind continued to return to the certainty that Max's eyes glowed softly, an unmistakable ruby red. It was obviously a trick of light, I reasoned, the way Bethany's hair glinted with blue in direct sunlight. Turning, I was nearly frightened to death at the sight of Crow perched on the slanted stair railing.
"Jesus Howard Christ!" I screamed at him, "You need to stop doing shit like that!"
You need to be more careful about what you say, he signed, you're not in familiar territory here, and there's still a lot you don't know yet.
In a blink of the eye, he was no longer there and I felt like I had just been talking to myself. Looking around me carefully and cautiously, I decided I was alone now and got back to work.
I removed the portraits of ancestors I didn't know and replaced them with canvases of my own, interpretations of common themes Bethany thought would be cool. Stuff like the crucifixion of Saint Peter with his inverted cross and all the evils that cross now represented to modern Christianity. The crucifixion of Christ from his perspective, a window opened just above his right shoulder revealing a sky dark with black clouds above a cheering and angry mob surrounding a weeping Mary being comforted by John. She loved dark themes in religion, and I was more than happy to stretch my artistic muscles to paint subjects that appealed to the shadows of her personality, like a Van Gogh styled rendition of a vase of dead sunflowers.
I left the family portraits that lined the stairs, the sepia toned faces of long dead strangers. Being a photographer myself, I liked the old photos, recognizing how very few of my own photos had been printed out and hung on walls. For the most part, I only used the photos as quick renderings of subjects I wanted to draw or paint at a later time. Being naturally gifted, I had to practice by sketching studies on a regular basis, just to exercise to tricks and techniques I've learned.
I also left the beautifully rendered family tree on the wall of the landing. Mom's name was there, but mine wasn't, and the other names dated back to before the American Revolution, back to the 1600s and the founding colonies. I was no longer a man without a past, and I liked being reminded of that fact.
The hundreds of tchotchkes that cluttered the table tops and shelves were all carefully boxed and stacked neatly in Henry's old room, only leaving the large crystals and colorful stones that lined the mantle of the blackened red brick fireplace. I replaced them with my collection of model space ships from various science fiction movies and TV shows I enjoyed. I made up the bed in my grandmother's room because it had an adjacent bathroom. I found an elaborate patchwork quilt that had a nearly hidden pentacle in its design that I thought Bethany would enjoy, then put my clothes away. Soon, the house felt more like mine and Bethany's place, and I couldn't wait for her to arrive Friday evening.
Sweaty from my work, I took a shower, dressed and headed out to stock up on groceries. Max informed me that there was no grocery store in Circle Oak, save an overpriced general store that I now apparently owned, so I drove into Orange to do my shopping, meandering up and down the aisles to buy one of just about everything, except herbs and spices. I noticed that grandmother had a large assortment of dried herbs in the cabinets, including some I had never heard of, all neatly labeled and stored in canning jars. I spotted an herb garden just off the kitchen's back door and pieced together that she must have grown her own. It was nearly three before I got back and had the kitchen stocked, feeling a little weird about putting the groceries away, the same as I dreamed my grandmother had the night she was murdered. The brilliance of the sunny autumn day didn't stop me from occasionally peering through the passthrough and into the dining room, which now looked nothing like it did in the dream.
I decided I'd walk around the property to get a lay of the land, bringing my camera in case I spotted anything particularly interesting. The house sat on a fifty-acre lot of land with another two hundred acres beyond the back boundary that was to be set aside as a nature preserve, in accordance with my grandmother's will. It was still technically my land. I just couldn't sell it or use it in a way that would change its natural habitat.
Besides the sounds of birds and the occasional scurry of an animal, it was eerily quiet, very unlike what I was used to in the city. I snapped a few photos of spiderwebs, the roots of a fallen tree, and the occasional squirrel playing nearby. At one point, I stumbled upon a creek that lazily wandered through the shade of the tall trees. I took several study pics of the creek from various angles before sitting on the bank and listening to the soft flow of water over rocks and relaxed for the first time since my mother's death.
Moving on, I came upon a group of ancient Texas Live Oaks among the pines, heavy with Spanish moss. Their thick, heavy limbs swaying down to the ground before rising upward again, creating a permeable wall between them. I took several photos of the moss, being careful to not touch an of it. Due to what Seth taught me about the wilds, I knew the lovely, seemingly dead moss was filled with biting bugs I wanted no part of.
Climbing through the limbs, I found myself in a clearing completely ringed by live oaks. The clearing was bare, not a single blade of grass grew within the wide, sunny circle of oaks. I couldn't help but wonder if this strange gathering of ancient trees was where the town got its name, then smiled at how awesome it would be if that was true.
In the center was a large rectangular slap of white granite flecked with black and gray inclusions. Examining the low, flat surface, I spotted what I was sure was the remnants of candle wax. There was an almost imperceptible vibration I felt beneath my hand, and there were strange markings carved into the sides. I took about two dozen photos and told myself I had to remember to bring Bethany there. This was her particular brand of weird, so a picnic was loosely planned in my mind. I had no doubt she would want to have sex on the stone bed.
It took me a few minutes to realize I could no longer hear any birds singing in the trees. The silence was so complete my ears began to ring. Suddenly feeling like I was being watched by someone I couldn't see. I began to panic, remembering the dark shadow of a man in my nightmares as my heart began to beat loudly in my ears and my breathing became shallow. I crawled back through the tree limbs with haste and continued as calmly on my merry way, feigning calmness as best as I possibly could.
I reemerged from the woods at the backside of the property where an old barn sat in ruin, looking too be in such bad shape that I didn't dare enter. I doubted if anyone had entered the building since the rotting wagon wheel propped against its side was used. Between the barn and the house was a large pond, shaded by a few old cypress trees, the knobs of their roots sticking up out of the shallow waters like little petrified water nymphs. As I approached, I noticed someone swimming in the water.
He had light brown hair, but I really couldn't make out much more than that until I walked down the length of an old wooden boat dock and realized he was young, somewhere around my age.
"Oh, hey!" he smiled up at me, swimming to the end of the dock. "The water's great! Come on in."
"The water isn't too cold for swimming?"
"Why would it be?" he laughed, "It's a warm day for October."
"I didn't bring any swim trunks," I said, shaking my head.
"Neither did I," he told me. There was something about the way he said those three words that sounded a lot like he wanted to see me naked. It may have just been my imagination, or m unsatiated desire for the touch of another man. I looked around, as if anyone would see me naked out here in the literal middle of nowhere. I hesitated, quickly stripped out of my clothes. He watched me carefully, his eyes never leaving my body. It took every negative, unsightly thought I could bring to mind to prevent getting hard.
Throwing caution to the wind, I jumped in, expecting to be slammed with cold water, then was surprised as the warm water enveloped my body. I reemerged shaking the water from my hair and the sound of laughter.
"I'm John Luke," he said, offering his hand above the water in introduction.
"Jesse," I told him, shaking his hand.
"I know," he smiled, his mouth cocking more on one side than the other. It was the sexiest smile I'd ever seen. "Everyone in town is aware that Miss Sewilla's grandson has moved into Cowan House. That's why I'm here. My father is Mathew Hopkins, Chief of Police and the Pastor of the local church. He wanted me to personally invite you to church services on Sunday. Is that your Mustang parked out front? She's sweet!" I could tell by the sudden change of subject he was no more interested in attending church services than I was.
"Oh, yeah," I smiled proudly, "My stepfather and I rebuilt the engine and had the upholstery work and paint job done by professionals. I think it was a bonding project that included an education on how motors work, but I can't argue with the end result."
"That's awesome! All I have is a beat-up truck that doesn't run half the time."
"I could look at it for you, see if there's an easy fix. I'm no mechanic, but I do know a few tricks."
"Cool," he smiled, again that sexy crooked smile. I felt my cock stir in the warm water swirling around it in the softest stroke I had ever felt.
We swam around a while, then pulled ourselves out of the water, pulled on our dry pants over our wet bodies and headed for the house. Through the backdoor and into the kitchen, I offered him a bottle of IBC root beer, then we went into the living room where I worked on getting the TV set up to watch a movie. He roamed the house, checking out my model spacecraft, then admired the paintings.
"Where did you get these?" he asked.
"I painted them myself," I told him, "The subjects were my girlfriend's idea."
"Oh, you have a girlfriend." It was clear from his tone of voice he wasn't happy about that fact.
"Her name is Bethany." And she wouldn't mind one bit if we fucked right here, right now, I thought but didn't voice. Bethany knew I had an interest in guys, often encouraging me to hook up with any guy who showed an interest. She was open minded, especially where sex was concerned, and a free spirit. She also didn't want my always wondering about what sex with another guy hanging between us. Of course, she preferred I find a bisexual guy like myself so we could both enjoy him. Until then, I had Bruno's six inches for her to satisfy those passions with. "She's back in Beaumont." I stood and approached him. I had never made a move on a guy before, and I was scared witless, but the lingering effect Max had on me earlier had me feeling especially horny. We've already seen each other naked, and I was sure I was picking up signals that he was interested. "I'll introduce you when she comes on Friday, if you want."
We were standing very close, looking at each other in the eye. I leaned in slightly, then smiled when he did the same. Our lips barely brushed together when I heard a knock at the front door.
"Fuck!" I exclaimed. He laughed. "I'll be right back. Don't you move an inch." He laughed again and nodded his consent.
I rushed to the front door, smiling, but pissed off. I lived in the middle of nowhere, at the end of the road in no man's land. Who could possibly be at the front door? Opening it, I saw Uncle Henry standing at the bottom of the steps.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," he said, looking at the house in a way that suggested he could somehow see John Luke inside. My mind flashed to the cemetery and I didn't doubt that he probably did somehow know that John Luke was inside, and probably what we were about to get up to as well. "I just wanted to drop in and invite you to dinner so we could get to know each other." He looked over my shoulder, and I turned to see John Luke standing in the doorway. "Hello, John Luke!" he smiled, but the smile was obviously forced.
"Good afternoon, Henry," John Luke said with a cold voice.
"Not tonight," Henry told me, "I can see you already have company. Maybe tomorrow? We could have lunch. My shop is just a block away from the school."
"You have a shop?"
"Yes, The Apothecary," he smiled, "It's a botanical and natural products shop."
"It's a date," I smiled, "I'd love to see it."
"Well, okay then," he smiled back, "I'll see you tomorrow, then." He turned and started walking away. I watched as he entered the woods, then remembered he was my closest neighbor, aside from Max. John Luke moved in behind me, wrapping his arms familiarly around my waist, his hand cupping my groin.
"Where were we?" There was no doubt he was ready and willing to have some naked one on one time outside the warm water of the pond. I turned and kissed him; our lips pressed together as my tongue entered his mouth. I walked forward as he walked backward, our lips refusing to part as our fingers worked the flies of our pants open. I didn't even bother closing the door before I picked him up, cradling him in my arms and carried him upstairs to the bedroom. If I had been thinking with my big head, I might have wondered how I managed to lift his more athletic body with such ease.
Stripping quickly, I admired his hard seven inches while he marveled over my eight, playing with each other's scrotums, stroking our cocks. He went to his knees and began sucking my dick, the first time a guy had ever done that. I was surprised how it felt only slightly different than the way it felt when Bethany sucked me off, but I had taught her how to do it over the years, and she was most likely better practiced. Still, it wasn't long before I was quickly climbing toward orgasm.
I pulled him to his feet and climbed onto the bed with him, settling in between his legs to suck his cock. It was the first time I had the hard, pulsating flesh of a man in my mouth. I sucked his cock the way I liked being sucked, his moans telling me I was doing a good job as my lips pulled at his flesh, sliding up and down the length of his shaft, taking more and more of his body into mine.
"I'm going to cum," he warned me, pulling at me, "I want to fuck you."
I moved up his body, kissing his flat stomach and sternum before taking a moment to lick and suckle on his nipples. I kissed him deeply as I fumbled in the drawer of the bedside table for the lube I stashed there earlier, which I normally used to masturbate with. Slathering it on his dick, then on my hole, I tossed it aside and straddled him.
"This is my first time," I told him.
"Okay," he smiled at me, "You start and get used to it, then I'll take over."
Pressing the head of his cock into me, I gasped at the dull, but sharp pain I felt when the head popped into my sphincter. It was my first time with another guy, but not the first time I had been penetrated. Squinting my eyes tight, I fell forward a little and braced my hands on the bed at his shoulders.
"Breath, Jesse," he instructed, "Take big calming breaths and relax. We're not in a hurry."
I looked down at him and nodded, taking in a long, steady flow of air, then another. The pain subsided slowly and I sat backward, sliding his cock deeper into me. My skin flushed with goosebumps, and I felt my nipples grow hard. I had never felt that way with Bethany, and the sensation was mind blowing. When I was sitting on him, I began to rock my hips, grinding the base of his cock into my sphincter, feeling the luxurious way his length moved inside me. The feel of his hard flesh inside me was different than the way it felt when Bethany fucked me with Bruno. It was as if my whole body had come to life.
I began rising and falling above him slowly, watching his face as I fucked myself with his cock. The stirring of erotic pleasure began to sweep over me. I smiled at him. My cock grew so hard I could feel the slight stretch of the skin encasing my blood-flooded organ. He watched me carefully, smiling slightly, the corner of his mouth rising in what I read as a smirk.
"You're so fucking hot," he told me as I increased the speed of my self-administered fuck, taking his cock harder into me. My body was reacting in a way I had never felt, every stroke sliding across my prostate sent wave upon wave of pleasure flowing through me. I felt it in every erogenous zone, down to my toes. My breathing increased, I felt light headed and a little disoriented.
He sat up and held me to him, kissing me in a tight embrace. The feeling of his lips on mine, his tongue darting across mine, increased the sensations raking through me. He somehow twisted our bodies to the side as he took the dominant position. His toned, athletic body rose above me slightly, and I watched the muscles of his body move slightly as he began fucking me. Spreading my legs wide to give him better control, I surrendered my body to him. His thrusts increased, his cock driving into me hard. I was overwhelmed as the ecstasy ravaged my body, shockwaves pouring through my limbs.
Then I started cumming.
I looked down as the semen began to shoot from my cock and stretched across my stomach, then drooled out into a puddle. He fucked me harder, and another wave of ecstasy slammed into me, driving another couple of blasts of cum from my cock. I was delirious with as the orgasm spiked, then flowed, but never extinguished as he banged my ass in pursuit of his own orgasm, then slammed into me hard and deep, his cock emptying his load deep inside me. I wrapped my legs high around his waist, not wanting him to pull out. He collapsed on top of me, and we held each other for several minutes until his dick grew limp enough to slip out of me. My cock was still rock hard.
"I would ask if that happens every time you get fucked, but you said it was your first time." He slid in next to me, and we stared at the ceiling as my body slowly descended from the heights of pleasure I had never experienced before.
"That was definitely the first time I ever experienced anything like that," I told him, "I guess we'll have to do it again to see if it's an every time thing."
"I don't have a problem with that," he said, moving in to kiss me, "But I really do need to get back home now. I really don't want my father, the high and mighty Minister of the town's only church asking me too many questions after I just fucked the finest piece of ass in town."
"Oh, okay," I said, feeling a little disappointed, then felt some of my cum dribble over the side of my stomach. "I guess I need a shower anyway."
I watched him dress, the way his body moved as he collected his clothes, the swing of his flaccid cock, marveling at the now smaller organ that made me feel things I never thought possible.
"Next time, you fuck me," he said, leaning across the bed to offer me a kiss before leaving, "See you at school tomorrow!"
I lay there for a while longer, listening to the sound of his feet on the stairs, then the sound of the front door as he left. After a couple of minutes, I heard the sound of a truck engine rattle beleaguered to life, a backfire, then the sound of him driving away until all I heard was settled silence. Another dribble of cum down my side pulled me off the bed and to the shower.
I ate a peanut butter sandwich as an early dinner, downloaded my photos to my computer and inspected the shots. While nowhere near a professional photographer, everything came out clearly except for the photos of the inside of the circle of oaks, the dead space inside, the large slab of granite.
There was some sort of white haze, and it looked like there were faint outlines of figures hidden deep within the white images, but it was probably just my imagination, like seeing shapes in the clouds, or faces in the patterns of tree leaves. One after another, a different white blur with nothing recognizable in the images. I wondered if my camera had somehow become damaged when I climbed through the branches.
Deciding it had been a long day, I went to bed early. I could ask these questions another time, and added taking my camera in for inspection and repair to the list of things I needed to do.
For the first time since my mother died, I slept peacefully through the night. No nightmares. No waking up in the dead of night. Nothing but a long, forgetful sleep.
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