Arousal warred with the fear in Nox’s gaze. Luca realized what he saw, the battle for control.
And Nox was losing.
Claws pricked Luca’s skin. “Don’t.”
Nox froze.
“You’ll cut me. You can’t touch me if you don’t use Nox’s hands.”
It tilted its head. The inhuman digits withdrew, leaving human flesh.
“That’s better. Thank you.”
Nox huffed, dragging his hands lower, pawing at Luca’s thighs, his movements awkward. Luca spread his legs, and a deep purr replaced the threatening snarl. Nox dropped his head closer, his hot breath puffing against Luca’s temple, his cheek, his throat. Sharp points grazed the edge of his jaw in a burning line, and he jumped. Wet silk retraced the path. When Nox lifted his chin, a dot of crimson clung to his bottom lip. Luca touched the edge of his jaw. Blood stained his fingers.
Nox’s eyebrows came together, and his gaze skipped from Luca’s hand to his jaw and back. A very human expression of confusion somehow made inhuman by the Anubis’s presence.
In a rush of black, it retreated.
Nox collapsed on top of Luca and buried a wounded cry into the pillow under Luca’s head.
“It’s gone, you’re okay.”
Nox sucked in a breath.
“It’s okay, it didn’t hurt me.” A thought occurred to Luca. “Did it hurt you?”
Nox turned his head just enough his tears dripped on Luca’s shoulder. “No.” Even in a whisper, he sounded broken. “But it showed me….” Another wail threatened to break free of his chest.
“What?” Luca ran his hand through Nox’s hair. When he wouldn’t look up, Luca made him.
Sheer terror reflected back in Nox’s eyes.
“What did it show you?”
“It showed me….” His voice cracked. “It showed me what it wanted to do to you.”
*****
By some streak of luck, it wasn’t the water pump on the van, but a split hose that had managed to squirt a tiny stream in some random wire, causing a short that killed the engine.
Six inches of electrical wire and Ridly had the van repaired. He even did a courtesy check for any other impending disasters. By three, Luca and Nox were back on the road.
Civilization vanished into vast green fields. Clouds blotted out the sun, and the occasional snowflake crashed into the windshield.
Luca picked up another sweatshirt and slid it on. Many more of the damn things and he would resemble the Michelin Man. Unlike Nox who wore a thin shirt and jeans that hugged the slope of his thighs without looking poured on.
Luca napped, and Nox drove. Several hours later, they entered a small rural community with a few lonely strip malls. “I’m going to get some gas. If you walk around, don’t go far.” Nox pulled into a filling station.
Luca got out and made his way to the side of the building where a sign indicated bathrooms. The door was locked, so he went inside to ask for a key.
Colored pipes lined the shelves in the windows. An assortment of knives, next to rows of different tobacco, filled the glass case under the counter. Beside the register, a carousel had tiny packages bragging about increased libido, dick size, the ability to stay awake all night on the top half, and on the bottom, an assortment of condoms.
The man at the register smiled. “How can I help you?”
Luca jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “I was… uh, wondering if I can use the bathroom.”
“Absolutely.” He retrieved a horseshoe with a key tethered by a chain off of a nail on the wall.