A Wicked Beginning Read online

  “Yes, but why French?”

  “…because it is a beautiful language, n'est-ce pas?”

  “Oui, très belle,” I agreed. “Whoa! A sudden command of French? That’s a bit freakish, don’t you think?”

  “It is natural, not freakish,” Kayden said, shaking his head, before changing the subject. “Didn’t you say you had things to do today, ma chère?”

  “Oui…I mean, yes. Zuri and I are going shopping. We’re going dancing next week.”

  “That promises to be fun.”

  “Yes, I hope so. That is where we met, remember, on the dance floor at the Re-Fly High Club?”

  “Of course I remember. That is where we met this time, chère. This time…sometimes your poor memory alarms me. We have met and re-met so many times I have lost count. They’re always amusing and interesting, I must say. You do take delight in entertaining me. But I tire in waiting for you sometimes. This time I thought you would never return.” He appeared sad as he said this.

  “Kayden…” I soothed. “If I am truly the ka’kriyayaga, and I cannot exist without you, why ever would I not return to you?”

  “I thought you had become too enamored of the Neanderthal this time,” he replied sullenly. “You and the choices you make…”

  “Kayden!” I said, shocked. “I can’t do any of this without you. You told me this yourself. What’s the matter with you?”

  “You are right, chère. I am playing the fool and failing to tell you something of significance.”

  I frowned, plucking a piece of errant seaweed from my hair. “What is it?”

  “The shrew-cow… Remember I told you Natalie was keeping tabs on that deviant shrew, Jill Primcott?”

  My stomach clenched in fright. “Yes, I remember…”

  “Natalie caught a whiff of disturbance in the Earth’s energy field last night. She thinks the strumpet is up to something.”

  I shivered. “Oh! That’s horrid! What does Natalie think is going on?”

  “She’s not sure,” Kayden said pensively. “She thinks it has something to do with the Neanderthal.”

  “Cam!” I cried in alarm. “What can we do?”

  “Not a thing, ma chère, not a thing. Our job is to aid and assist, not rescue or remove personal responsibility.” He shook his head, causing his thick, lustrous hair to swish back and forth. “How many times do you think I have watched you in perilous danger, unable to snatch you from danger?”

  “I don’t know. A bunch of times, I guess.”

  “More than a bunch… Think in the thousands.”

  My eyes widened. “Are you kidding?”

  “I wish I were, mon amour. You’re rather reckless, you know.” He shrugged. “I imagine that is where my moment of insecurity about the Neanderthal came from. I don’t understand why your depth of connection has increased this time when he may just die this time from the dreamling…or from Jill’s efforts.”

  My eyes filled with tears. “Oh, my…he might die?”

  Kayden nodded. “I’m afraid so, chère. Or he may be taken away from you in another manner. There’s no clear outcome that Natalie can see.”

  Tears slithered down my cheeks. “And there’s nothing I can do about it…any of it?”

  “I’m afraid not, mon amour. And your sadness is so unbearable to witness. I feel it like a knife, carving my heart to pieces each and every time you feel such grief. This time, with the deep feeling connection you have made with the Neanderthal, it is nearly unbearable. Why did you choose to love him so this time around?” Kayden’s eyes were tear-filled too, as he beseeched mine for answers I could not give.

  “I don’t know, Kayden, I don’t know.” My cheeks were slicked with salty wetness. “I guess the depth of love I feel for you increases a thousand-fold each time I connect with Cam. It’s a mystery to me as well, why I make the choices I make. I just follow my intuitive impulses.”

  “I’m afraid your heart will shatter this time, chère. And I don’t know what I will do if that happens.”

  “You will experience it as I experience it, I suppose. Isn’t that what we do?”

  We both looked at one another in sorrow. “So much drama here, isn’t there?” I said.

  “Yes, there is.” Kayden took my hand and placed it over his heart while placing his palm over my heart. He leaned his forehead against mine. We clasped each other hands with our free hand. “So much drama and unhappiness…” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Pulling me up to standing he said, “Come, chère. There’s nothing we can do just moping here. You have things to do, and I must meet with Natalie. Let us carry on with our existence and allow things to unfold.”

  I gave him a small smile and shrugged. “What else can we do?”

  “One last thing,” Kayden said.

  “And that is?”

  He swept his hand over his forehead, letting me know that I should use my imagination, as he disappeared into the ethers, leaving me with a sad, scared heart.

  Chapter 34 – Cam

  Cam’s legs and arms were bound by sturdy, sisal ropes, his mouth was sealed shut with duct tape, and he was being dragged through the woods by the woman with the cat face. He tried to struggle, tried to get free of the bindings, but it was no use. He was trapped, jostling about over dirt and fallen logs, his arms and face were bloody and scratched, and he was fucking freaked out - big time. At first it was just a dimly lit dream and then he exploded into lucidity. When he came to in the nightmare, he watched his horrified body trailing along behind the cat-headed woman with the pink fingernails. Where was she taking him…and why? What did she want with him?

  With eerie detachment, his conscious mind noticed that the black, gooey things…what were they…oh right, the ta-ak’tiyani…they were called the ta-ak’tiyani…they were not trying to get him this time. Was this progress? It seemed like mixed progress. Good that there were no ta-ak’tiyani; bad, very bad, that he was bound by arms and legs and couldn’t do a damn thing. This was very bad indeed. Then he became aware that the ta-ak’tiyani were just up ahead, through the trees. Hmmm, not good. Were they trying to find him? No, it seemed like they were busy with someone else. Well, too bad for that sucker, whoever it was. Then he heard a shriek from over where there where the black fuckers were. The voice sounded familiar. He heard his name being called.

  “Cam!” the voice screamed. “Cam, where are you?”

  Oh, God, no, it was Chérie! Now he was back in his bruised and battered body, listening to Chérie scream and sob, calling his name, over and over and over. The ta-ak’tiyani were after her. They were after his beautiful Chérie. He bucked and struggled against the restraints, tried to call out through the duct tape. The cat woman increased her speed, and his body lurched over a jagged rock. “Oof!” The pain barely registered; he was wild with grief listening to Cheerio’s anguish. His heart was breaking, it was breaking into bits, bleeding into the soil hearing her screams and he was helpless, helpless, helpless... Oh, God, make me wake up, please, make me wake up, he pleaded with himself.

  Then, whoosh, he was out of the woodsy scene, making love with Chérie, somewhere. He did not know where, did not care. The feeling was so intense, he did not know if he could maintain consciousness. Oh, God, he thought again. Oh, Jesus, oh, God, this was mind-fucking beautiful. He was inside her, he was kissing her, and here was the weird part; she seemed to be suspended in air. He surrendered to the sensations, gave himself over to the ecstatic impulses only to be aware that there was someone else in this scene. Oh, fuck me now, it was Fabio. He, Chér and Fabio were doing it, somewhere in space…only, no, it was somewhere familiar. With his conscious mind, he tried to focus on where they were. They were twirling in the air in front of Chér’s home. Yes, that’s it. Him, Chér, and Fabio. He was inside of Chér, his cock was thrust deep, moving in and out; Fabio was inside of him like a ghost or something, making him feel all shivery inside…fuck.

  He lurched awake, lying in his double bed with the stiffest
hard on he had ever had. “Oh, hell,” he groaned. He ran his hand over his face. When he brought his hand away, he noticed that it was covered in blood. Shit. Fuck. He bolted out of bed and raced to the bathroom.

  Looking in the mirror, he barely recognized himself. His face was covered with scrapes and scratches like he actually had been dragged through the woods. He examined the rest of his body. Same old, same old – there were no new abrasions or scrapes anywhere. Huh – that was weird. Why just the face? Why the face at all? Scrutinizing his appearance again, there was a vicious tear in his lip and a big bruise on his cheek. Fuck! He slammed an angry fist into the wall. And he was as stiff as iron, aroused like you wouldn’t believe. How surreal could his life get? Apparently, there was no end to the insanity he could experience. His life was now a Barnum and Bailey circus act on peyote or mescaline. No, wait – it was more like the purest LSD trip he’d had when he was about 18-years-old or so. Yeah, that one had been a warp the walls kind of trip. His life had now taken on that kind of bizarreness for sure. Maybe he should have thought twice about all that substance abuse in his past…maybe all the brain altering he had done had jogged a few screws loose. He glanced at the gashes in the door. They gave off a constant glow, like a strange little nightlight. “Is this your doing?” he asked the door. “Why don’t you just leave me the fuck alone?”

  He thought of Chérie. Should he call her? Was she okay? Were the ta-ak’tiyani after her? Or, was she off doing the nasty with Fabio somewhere? Shit. Whatever progress he’d made accepting that ‘Cam, Chér, and Fabio’ reality had vanished. He’d never thought he’d have to be aware of the three of them together. It sure didn’t make him feel all warm and fuzzy towards Chér, that was for sure.

  Rummaging around in his medicine cabinet, he pulled out a Steri-Strip bandage and applied it to the gash in his lip. He dabbed the scratches with hydrogen peroxide, and then looked down at his throbbing cock. Well, this sure as shit wasn’t going to subside on its own today. What a fucking mess he was. He cranked on the shower and stepped into the stall.

  He began palming his shaft, furiously rubbing up and down to get this thing over with, get this hard on out of the way for God’s sake, when the rips in his leg began to sear and glow. Oh, right, he’d forgotten about the star dreamling and his “innocent heart”…all he was right now was angry and aroused. And his thigh was burning like a motherfucker. Shit! He banged the shower stall with his fist and slid down the cool tiles to the tiled floor.

  The warm liquid pulsated over his head, his neck, his torso, and his legs like a soothing balm. He stretched his arms over his bent knees, hung his head, and watched the blood-stained liquid slither down the drain. As the H2O doused his body, he thought of how much pleasure he derived out of being in the water, and on the water. It really was a source of peace and healing for him.

  He stared with detachment at the angry, green glowing gashes on his leg as if they belonged to someone else. What a curious thing. His upbringing had never prepared him for shit like this. Or had it? He’d truly lived a life of senselessness as a child. There was never a feeling of safety in his life at home. He’d hated that, hated feeling like he was stepping through land mines from the minute he awoke to the minute he crawled into bed, listening to the sobs and screams of his mom. The only safety he ever experienced was when he was out in the wild. There he had found his solace, his peace. There he had connected with that still, small place in his heart he had accessed in the sweat lodge. He’d managed to deal with the craziness then; this was just a different kind of craziness.

  Okay, he thought. You can do this. You just have to keep on keeping on, put one foot in front of the other and all that kind of shit. Today was the day he was supposed to head up to Hurricane Ridge with Lightning Rod. He’d finished packing last night, everything was ready to go. You can do this. That dream was just a dream. Angela has no power over you. And the Fabio and Chér part? That was just his way of trying to ease into the whole three-way thing. He started to feel saner as he sorted through his mind. He could just tuck all this dream stuff away. No sense in dwelling on it. That was a useless endeavor. Better to get back to the here and now. And right now, well, right now, he still had a massive erection that would not subside, plus, he was feeling better and his leg had stopped stinging.

  He stood up and grasped himself. He let the love he had for Chér flood his chest. The sensations running through him now were pure bliss. And as he was beginning to realize, it was like she was right here, right here in the shower with him, plunged over his cock. It seemed that when he thought of her with love, she responded, real time, not just in his mind. He’d have to ask her about that one. He palmed himself, feeling Chérie poised over him, stroking his shaft with her delectable core.

  He heard her whisper in his ear, “I’m in love with you, Cam Tyson.”

  He whispered into the shower stall, “I’m in love with you, too, babe…all the way in love.” When he came, it was the best orgasm he’d ever had on his own. He even experienced that jolt of power that came from being intimate with the ka. Fucking A. He chuckled to himself. That innocent heart shit even works solo. Except that he wasn’t really solo, now, was he? Chérie was such a part of him. She lived inside his heart. It was like she had always lived there, but he hadn’t always had the wherewithal to remember that. And today…just now…he honestly believed that she had participated in today’s little self-pleasuring. Then his thoughts darkened. He sure hoped she hadn’t participated in the darkness of the dream. He’d have to check that one out too.

  When he wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later, he heard the clack, clack, clack of Severe’s toenails and the soft treads of Manoko coming down the hallway. For such a big guy, he sure stepped softly through this Earth.

  Manoko whistled when he took a look at Cam. “Shit, brother, did a wild cat get you in the night? What happened to your face, man?”

  “Crazy shit, Mano. I had this dream that I was being dragged through the woods by that woman with the cat head and when I woke up…well, you can see for yourself.” He gestured towards his face. “I’m going to show up at the camp today, looking like a train wreck.”

  “Just tell them it was a mountain lion, and the kids will think you’re some kind of macho dude. You’ll be a hero.” Mano snorted. “But really, bro, from dream to reality? If it is the work of Angela, that’s some strong magic. You watch yourself, you hear? You’re not going to take this spirit tracking experience away from me by getting side-tracked, are you?”

  Cam choked on his coffee. Coughing, he spluttered and reached for a napkin. “What? You’re worried that you’re going to get an experience taken away from you because a crazy bitch is after me? Some friend you are.”

  “Damn straight,” Mano said, banging his palm on the counter, causing the snake tattoo running up his arm to ripple like it was alive. “I’ve been consulting some more with the elders on this one. We’re going to kick that dreamling to the curb, my man.”

  “You’re in a good mood today, Mano. What gives?”

  “Can’t a brother wake up in a good mood?” Mano poured himself a cup of java. “I’m pumped. I’m getting ready for the spirit tracking, my friend. Plus, I get to see your girl’s friend next week – you know the one – what’s her name?”

  “Do you mean Zuri?”

  “Yea, Zuri.” Mano made a playful growling sound and snapped the air with his teeth.

  Cam laughed. “I’d watch out with that one, Mano. Z’s into all that S&M stuff…you know, whips, chains, and shit like that.”

  “It could just be a phase, bro. She’s never had a man like me.”

  “No doubt. I didn’t know you were interested in Zuri. I could’ve hooked you up a while back.”

  “Timing, bro…it’s all about the timing. And my timing says that I’m through with celibacy.” He reached into the cupboard and pulled out a bag of dog food. “Come on, Severe, let’s get you some chow.” Severe wagged her tail eagerly and barked. “You a
pprove? Glad to hear it.” Mano placed the stainless steel dog dish on the counter and poured in a scoop of dry dog food. Then he got a defrosted raw meat patty out of the ‘fridge and placed it on top, followed by a drizzle of salmon oil. “Ready, mutt?” he said to Severe. She wagged her tail wildly and barked. “That’s not how you ask for breakfast, where are your manners? Manners, Severe, manners…” Severe sat down and quieted. “That’s better,” Mano said, placing the bowl in the corner of the kitchen.

  “You’ve got a good dog, Mano,” Cam noted, taking a bite of toast. “Plus, she eats better than I used to.”

  “She’s coming along. And you can see I have a way with the beasts,” Mano added, raising his eyebrows up and down. The tattoos on his face appeared to writhe. “Zuri will be putty in my hands.”

  “Well, good luck with that.” Cam finished up his breakfast, rinsed his dishes, and put them in the dishwasher. “Wish me luck with the wily teens.”

  Mano looked up. “Yeah, man, good luck with that. And when you get back, we track the beast.” He rubbed his hands together with glee.

  “Glad one of us is so eager. Anyway, later, man.”

  Cam walked back to his bedroom and looked around to make sure he had not missed anything when he’d packed the car last night. Satisfied, he picked up his keys and headed towards the door. A loud thump and a clatter sounded in his closet. What the fuck was that? he thought. Had the shelves in his closet disintegrated? The way he saw it, his world was so warped, anything was possible. Turning around, he walked towards the closet. The closet doors burst open and out leapt Chérie. Cam jumped. “Jesus Christ, Chér, you scared the shit out of me! What are you doing in there?”

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  “I wanted to say goodbye. I’m going to miss you a lot.” She brushed off her shorts and her shirt, covered with dust and debris from the closet.

  Cam peered into the wardrobe, noting the crumpled boxes, hangers, and clothes that now covered the floor. “I don’t really have time to clean this up, Chér.”