Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2016 05:37:11 -0500
From: Kody Boye <boyekody@gmail.com>
Subject: His Touch of Ice - Part 46

DISCLAIMER:

This is a work of fiction, and contains scenes of graphic violence and
explicit male/male sex. If you are not of the legal age to read this, or
are uncomfortable with this sort of content, please turn back now.

HIS TOUCH OF ICE (The Ice Men, Book 1) is copyright © Kody Boye. All
Rights are reserved.

______________________________________________________________________________

"What did she mean by that?" I asked when we returned to Guy's flat.

He lifted his head. "You heard that?" he asked, a frown crossing his face.

"Well, yeah. It was pretty clear what she was saying."

"No, Jason. It wasn't."

"What do you—"

"No human should be able to hear when the Kelda speaks to another," Guy
said. "Especially not one of her Kaldr."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," Guy sighed. "I don't know."

He turned toward the living room and braced his hand on the back of his
skull, the muscles in his upper back taut with tension. His actions were
indicative of the secrecy that I had grown so used to over our short
relationship, and while at first I'd been more keen on ignoring them, I was
tired of having things withheld from me.

Grunting, I started forward, only to have him spin to face me shortly
after.

"Guy," I said. "What's going on?"

"I said—"

"Don't bullshit me. Please. Tell it to me straight."

The hurt in his eyes was plain and obvious. "Jason," he sighed.

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to continue—holding
my ground, keeping my eyes level with him. There were few times when I had
enough fortitude to hold the upper ground. Usually that came with unease,
or panic. Here, it grew from defiance—to the point where I felt that, if
I'd the will, I could easy cut glass into fine, solid points with my gaze
alone.

Under my scrutiny, Guy's will faltered. With a sigh, he lowered his hands
and said, "My father doesn't want you here anymore."

The blow was harsh—blunt, sharp, barbed like a stinger that exploded
when enough pressure was applied. It took the breath out of me and left me
reeling in the declaration, but I held my ground and waited for him to
continue.

"Why?" I asked.

"Missy Sue's death on our property was a very, very big deal. Pierre Le
Blanc made it very clear to my father that our `agreement,' as he so put
it, was dangling on very thin wires."

"And your father's pissed."

"Yeah."

"But the Kelda doesn't want me to leave." Guy didn't respond. "Why?"

"Because she believes me to be of stronger will and declaration than my
father," Guy replied. "And because of your presence here, I have a reason
to remain and protect my ancestral homeland."

I waited for him to say more. I knew it was coming—he just didn't seem
to want to voice it.

Stepping forward, I braced myself directly before him and said, "What are
you saying? If your father doesn't want me here and he's the leader—"

"Then there's no way I can openly defy him."

"Unless—"

The flicker in Guy's eyes cut me off.

Though nothing had struck me, I felt as though I'd just had the wind
knocked from my lungs.

"She wants me to take you as my partner," Guy said. "To turn you into one
of the Kaldr."

My existence was narrowed down in but a moment. Ripped, forcibly, from my
place in the world, strung along on a journey that would redefine who I was
both as a person and a human, placed in a situation where, trapped within
four walls, I could do nothing but stay or leave—this was what my life
had become, yet in but a second I had been offered a question: humanity or
immortality, peace or destruction, human notion or carnal lust.

Having gone slack, my fingers dangled freely at my sides. I was vaguely
aware of their existence until my fists tightened and all the knuckles in
both hands popped.

"Guy—"

"I'm not asking you to do anything," Guy said, placing his hands on my
shoulder. "I would never force you to make a decision about something like
that. Ever. I had no options. My choice was ripped from me."

"Then how—"

"There's only one other thing I could do to ensure that you remain in this
house," he said, withdrawing his hands and settling them at his sides. "And
while the status of partner would benefit you far more, this alternative
would at least allow you to keep your humanity."

"What is it?"

"You could become my mate." Guy waited for a response. When I had none to
offer, he crossed his arms over his chest and continued. "Your purpose in
my life would be as my warm flesh. You would provide me with pleasure, with
companionship, but most importantly, with life. Traditionally, this would
be seen as slavery—where the warm flesh had no option but to obey what
his Svell Kaldr told him—but I hold you in far too great regard to ever
treat you that way."

"I don't get it. If I'm just... your partner... then why is your father
making such a big deal out of this?"

"Because you haven't been marked—claimed, as we call it, by
another. Hierarchy is important here. In the past, Svell Kaldr kept humans
only for sustenance, as it was believed that it was the only way to be
`truly' Kaldr. But since that's since been disproven... having warm flesh
at one's side is a sign of power, and a declaration of ownership." Guy's
face paled and he stepped forward, hesitant to take hold of my arms, but
doing so regardless. "It's so fucked up. I know. I'm sorry."

"I can see why you left," I said, even managing a laugh.

Guy smiled despite the situation. "Yeah," he said, setting a hand on my
face. "If you decide you don't want to do this, I'll leave. I'd rather die
than make you endure an endless hell."

"And your father couldn't do anything?"

"My father's on the brink of self-destruction. The Kelda seeks reason to
usurp his throne. There's a Kaldr killing innocent humans in Austin. It
seems as if the dark age is upon us. So if he even so much as threatened to
expel either of us if this happened... she'd banish him from the estate."

"What is the Wendigo?" I asked, remembering the phrase she'd mentioned
earlier.

His hands remained on my arms. Trembling, cold against my skin I knew from
nerves rather than who he was, he kept his gaze set firmly on me—never
faltering, never swaying.

"The Wendigo," Guy said, "is the nightmare of the Kaldr people... and the
one thing that could destroy us all."

"Why is your father so afraid of it?" I asked.

"Because a Wendigo can only be made after a human has been bitten by a
Howler... and then mated with a Kaldr."

I closed my eyes.

Is he bitten? Is he bitten? Is he bitten? Eliot's frantic voice echoed in
my ear.

"Our worlds don't bridge," Guy said. "Attachments aren't made, especially
not among humans. It's to keep the lines pure, our people safe. My father
fears that if I don't send you away... and that if you get bit by a
Howler... I won't be able to keep myself from saving you."

"And turning me into a Wendigo," I finished.

Guy nodded. "We don't know what happens," he said. "Whether it's love or
hate or something else that fuels its anger. All we've known is that it was
a blight—that whenever it came, everything around it was killed. That's
why my father's afraid, Jason. He wants you either away from me or mated to
me. There's no other options."

To stay and remain safe forever, or to leave and risk a death unimaginable?

In the end, would it really be such a bad thing if, in the eyes of the
others, I willingly submitted myself to him? I did love him, after all, and
he'd done so much for me. There wasn't much to argue.

I bowed my head into his neck and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Jason?" Guy asked, his voice rough and filled with unease.

"It'll keep me here," I said. "And you safe. Right?"

"Right."

"Then I've made my decision. Tell your father I submit to you," I
said. "Make me your mate."
____________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed this installment of HIS TOUCH OF ICE, consider emailing the
author with your thoughts or donating to him via Paypal at
boyekody@gmail.com. You can also download the novel for free on Smashwords,
Amazon Kindle, or any other major eBook retailer, or buy the Audible
version online via Amazon.com. You can visit the author online at
www.kodyboye.com.