Barbie + Ken Ch. 03

A small voice, previously unheard, pipes up from somewhere. "But you're just one person! That magic is way too big!" and I can hear another voice shushing the small one.

"Those lowlifes are no match for my magic," I say arrogantly. "Further, without me, they are much less powerful. I guarantee they will not pass through my completed barriers, so long as I draw breath." This seems to energize the crowd, and many nod assentingly.

"So be it," Alpha says, and the crowd intones their matching response. "Our business concluded," Alpha continues, "let us be done here and go about our individual days."

* * * * * * * * *

In a gentle grove to the north, under the shelter of a sweetly blossoming tree, I lie with my head in Ken's lap. He strokes my chest with one hand while I hold the other and stroke that arm, enjoying the carefree moment of connection. It's been a quiet few days, plenty of time for my work and settling into my new home. I have just returned from placing a giant layer of protective spellwork about the borders of the encampment, an affair as thorough and exhausting as any marathon. Yet, next to Ken, watching my fingers trail the curiously white hair on his arms, I find I am recovering quite fast. I can feel his meaty thighs beneath my head and know a delicious mouthful waits for me, just beside my ear.

The sun plays gently on my scarred and tattooed skin, such a stark contrast with Ken's. He trails a path up my chest, around my neck, lightly brushing over my Mark, and then over my lips. I can feel myself plumping up, absolutely intoxicated by his smell. Is it me or is my sense of smell getting stronger?

"You've worked hard today, Barbie," he says softly, and I nod. "Are you tired?" and I nod again, a little sleepy actually. He shifts under me, not so much that I have to move, just making himself a little more comfortable. His new position places his waist a little farther from my head, now a few more inches down his legs. I turn over on my side, head facing him, and brush my lips over the prominent bulge in his jeans.

Ken moans softly, more like air passing through his nostrils. Tired as I am, I'm not too tired for a taste of him. I nuzzle my face into that bulge and grab a mouthful. It's a little difficult to really get a proper feel, the fabric of his denim jeans is a little too thick to get a proper bite, and it makes me hungrier. I look up at him and pout.

"Oh?" he says, those golden eyes bright and hungry, like I'm sure mine are. "Something I can help you with?" and I nod, again against his crotch, aware that his length is waking up. His hands run through my hair, scratching lightly at the base of my neck. "What do you want?"

"Mmph," I mumble, trying to discern if it's his dick or one of his balls that I am mouthing, damn these thick jeans, blocking me from what I want.

His hand pulls on my hair, pulling my face just a few inches away. I whimper. "Sorry," he says, leaning in a little. "I couldn't hear you. What were you saying?" and I moan again, don't make me say it, don't make me beg, you know what I want you beautiful bastard!

He slips his thumb in between my lips and they part willingly, invitingly. He uses it to press down on my tongue and my mouth opens, see what a good boy I am? So pliant.

"If you want something, you'll have to ask for it," he says, and I frown. I wrap my lips around his thumb, run my hands along any part of him that I can reach. Why is he playing this ridiculous game, just unzip already! I reach for his zipper and he yanks my hair, hard. I groan involuntarily and I can feel myself twitching down below. "Didn't you hear me?" and I whimper.

He mashes my face into his crotch and it drives me so wild, this new dominance is an exciting side of Ken. Somehow so familiar, like it was always in him but at a new level. My mouth is wide open and my tongue is out, shamelessly rubbing that damned denim between me and my rightful prize. He suddenly pulls my head away again and I feel like I may cry.

"Please," I beg, eyes wide.

"What?" he says, rubbing my mark, driving me absolutely wild. I can feel actual tears welling up.

"Please," I croak.

"Use your words," he says, eyes narrowing, and a thrill goes right through my spine.

"Please give me what I want," I beg, squirming, trying to get closer to him in any way possible, hands going everywhere, head pushing back against his hand, lips straining for that pulsing prize I know is just inside that damned denim.

"And what do you want, Barbie?" he asks, in a flash he has changed our position, cradling my skull with his powerful hands so that I don't have to move at all, his powerful thighs are on either side of my face now, he is rubbing his crotch in my face and I might actually start crying from joy now.

"I want to suck your cock, please let me," I beg, my voice trembling.

"Oh is that all? You should've just asked," he says, and his hands move slowly, so tempting, he's doing this on purpose, the beautiful bastard, he knows exactly what he's doing. This is going to kill me. The sound of the zipper is slow and musical torture, he's- he's not wearing underwear, oh fuck, I can see his thick, beautiful piece struggling to break out of the confines of that damn denim, and then finally it does, it pops right out and slaps me in the face, and I gratefully nurse it all over with my lips. It tastes better and better each time, I swear, I would rather have this thing inside my throat forever than ever breathe again.

His breathing is getting more ragged as he gets more excited, and I am squirming, loving every second of this, this strange dominant side of Ken that he didn't have before, yet as much as he is cruel for teasing me, his hands are strong and reassuring, so gentle too on my neck, I just relax and allow myself all the time I want to slobber all over his beautiful prick, relishing the springy texture and the hardness and the bounce of the skin, the taste of his precum, it's driving me wild. I might cum just from this, it's amazing, it's heaven it's-

Gone. What the fuck?

Suddenly he's standing upright, over me, I like this angle but I want that prize back! He's got this shit-eating grin, cocksure and confident, he knows exactly the effect he's making on me. But I think he's underestimated something important- my lust. As much as I enjoy this play, I've got more than just a submissive side and it's time he learned that. Using his calves as handholds, I pull up and wrap my legs around his torso and in a flash, he's on the ground and I'm on top of him. His eyes are wide, who's laughing now?

He reaches for my hands to throw me back down, but I am quicker. I pin his hands above his head, reach for the well of magic, and will the earth to bind them and it does, bubbling up and over to effectively partly bury him. While I'm at it, I make sure to bind him by the elbows, torso, knees, and ankles, too.

Ken's eyes widen, in surprise, a little fear, and dare I say, arousal? "Barbie?" he whispers, amazed. I can feel the demonic glint in my eyes, at this moment I am no more than a simple succubus, ready to feast on my beautiful prey. Time for Ken to see a new side of Barbie.

I take my cock out of my pants, matching him, and I walk my knees up to his head, letting my dick rest right over his eyes. "Put that smart mouth to work," I say, and immediately I can feel that hot mouth working every piece of me he can reach. Bound as he is by the earth itself, he can't possibly reach every part of me, and I feel deliciously in control. He's bucking against his clay restraints, but they hold fast, and as he works my cock and taint and balls as I rub all over his face, I reach back for my prize. I find it absolutely swollen and in desperate need of release.

"Looks like you could use some help," I say, enjoying the way his thick shaft feels in my hands, just positively sticky and slick with his precum. Honestly it's ridiculous to have so much, and yet it makes me absolutely wild with need. I collect as much as I can and slurp it lazily from my fingers, I can feel the heat in my face from how turned on I am. Suddenly his tongue stops shifting quick circles around me and he bites down lightly on my balls, and to my shock, I start cumming right there. This inspires him to bite down harder and I lose my breath from the ferocity of my orgasm, my hand mindlessly rubbing at my mark which tingles with just as much pleasure as my balls. Finally it's over and I have royally messed up his hair, I haven't even caught my breath!

"Ken, that was-" and before I can finish my sentence, he roars, what the fuck, when did he start roaring, he breaks through his earthen restraints, all I see is a cloud of dust and whirl of Ken and suddenly his tool is aimed right at my unsuspecting face, his hand jerking so hard and fast, my first reaction is simply to splay my tongue and that sets him off, I can see his eyes burning as he unleashes his orgasm directly onto my face, absolutely painting me. When he's done, breathing hard, he kisses me deep and powerfully, and my whole body vibrates, then he roars again and bites down hard on my neck. I can only scream silently as waves of pleasure tear through my body and I cum, but there is no ejaculate left, I just grab on and hold for my life, freely crying now as the pleasure wracks my body.

Finally we are spent, messy, and exhausted, the earth trussed up beneath this peaceful tree in the northern grove, the sunlight playing on our limp forms. I have just enough sense to tuck us both back into our clothes, and he removes his shirt to wipe us up. I really am smelling more acutely because there are new scents introducing themselves to me, not just us and our bodies and our cum and the trees and the grass and the upturned earth but also something I am only freshly aware of. I catch Ken's gaze and he smiles at me and I realize what it is.

It smells like us.

* * * * * * *

We sit at the table in Elmira's kitchen, whose house is rapidly feeling more familiar, both enjoying more of that heavy, smoky tea from those earthen mugs. One part of my mind is getting comfortable, settling in, willing to believe that I can be safe here; the other, it screams not to trust anyone and that I am not safe no matter where I am. But of all the places that I could have landed while trying to hide from witches, how lucky to have ended up in a lycan's den? A den of friendly lycans, no less.

"Elmira," I say, and she stops me quick.

"Grandma is fine," she says, and I try again.

"Grandma," I say, the word so strange, have I ever had someone to call Grandma? "I remember you said you wanted to talk about Ken's hair?"

She chuckles. "Oh, I do! I've never seen anything quite like it," she says, reaching out to fondle a lock of his hair. He smiles lazily at me, sitting with a relaxed posture, more spread out than he has sat over the last two days. There is a Knowing that is tugging at the back of my mind, only it has not yet taken form. Something is off about Ken. Well... not off. Different. Awakened? I can't quite discern it.

"Well, child," Almira says slowly, "It certainly is a shock from his former auburn," and she laughs a little. "He still looks like his grandpa, maybe even more so now than before, rest his soul," and her expression shows a little sadness, a little love, her eyes somewhere distant. "It's so strange. Even the texture is different," she murmurs.

"Oh?" I haven't noticed. How could I have missed that? I mean, I haven't known him very long but still. We've gotten quite intimately close in just a few days. That kind of change should also have been obvious.

"There's an old legend, if memory serves," Almira says slowly, reaching far back, "that speaks of a brave warrior who was touched by the Moon herself," her hands gently tousle a lock of Ken's silver-white smooth hair. "He was known for his luscious dark curls, which blanketed his whole body. After the touch of Her Radiance, his hair changed. His wolf changed too," she said. "Of course, this story is older than our written language, so I'd just thought it legend. Now here I am, witnessing legend in the flesh."

"Grandma," Ken says, "You think I've been touched by the Moon?"

"The evidence is truly before us," she says. "How could anyone argue?"

"I don't even remember it happening," Ken says. "One second I was in the isolation holding, the next second Barbie crashed in with Marius," and he growls a little at that memory. My Mark does not miss that little growl and it tingles in response. Down girl, I think.

"I remember," I say, a little ashamed, though I don't really know why. "It was while I was meditating. I was projecting myself astrally, searching for an escape, when the Moon showed me certain visions. I thought it was just visions, I didn't know it was in real time. One was the Alpha, and he seemed to see me. Just when I realized that, I saw you next."

"Really?" Ken says. "I don't remember that at all."

"You had this blackness in your heart," I say, shuddering at the memory. "I had to purge it. I knew in that moment I could, so I did. And then..." I gesture at him.

"Touched by the radiance of moonlight, blessed by the Shining Mother's hand," Almira murmurs. "You don't by chance feel... different do you?" she asks.

Ken shakes his head. "Not at all."

I can feel my eyebrow raise against my will. Okay, sure.

"Really!" Ken insists. "I feel totally normal. Better than ever, actually."

"But there have been a few, um, changes in you lately," I say.

"Oh?" Almira encourages.

"Well, for starters," I say, blushing madly, "You're a little more, um," dominating, I think, but I say, "Aggressive. Than usual," and my face flushes as I remember our moment under the tree. But it wasn't just that. "There's also what happened with Marius."

"Which was unacceptable, by the way," Almira says sharply. "He was allowed to bully for far too long, all because he was the Alpha-inherit."

These pack dynamics, formerly way beyond me, are something I should probably start to pay attention to. If I'm going to be staying here a while longer, that is. Which I'm not sure I will.

"Well I made it pretty clear that's different now," Ken said nonchalantly, as if it wasn't just yesterday he made Marius flee with tail tucked. "He won't be bothering Barbie again."

"Isn't it strange?" I asked Elmira, trying not to let my pheromones get out of control again. I don't even know why I bother trying to hide it anymore, but still there is some prudence left, some desire for privacy that these lycans just don't seem to care much about.

"I think it's wonderful," she says, eyes aglow. "Alvin is finally stepping into his birthright. Shame about Marius' true intentions. But that is no longer in our control."

"My birthright?" Ken exclaims. "That was settled a long time ago."

"Things are different now, Alvin," Elmira says with a faint smile. "Everything will be different moving forward."

"I'm confused," I say. Ken nods.

"Well, my dad's the pack Alpha. That's our leader. He's the top of the chain. And his dad, my grandpa, was the Alpha before him," Ken explains. "Usually it passes down through the males, though a few times it's passed through females. Typically the Alpha is mated to the Shaman, though again, sometimes there are exceptions."

"What about your mother?" I inquire, remembering the severe auburn woman who berated Ken upon our arrival.

"Oh, she's dead," Ken said quickly, like it is no big deal.

"My apologies," I say just a fast, embarrassed, "But who was that woman today?"

"You mean Alicia?" Ken says. "That's my aunt. You heard her at council this morning."

"Oh," I say stupidly.

"I can see why you would think otherwise," he says disgruntledly.

"That meddling shrew should learn to mind her own business," Elmira says harshly.

I snicker, and Ken allows himself a lopsided smile. "She's a piece of work."

"Much like her bratty little pup," mutters Elmira.

"You mean Mari?" I quip, enjoying a chance to demean the burly man a little.

"A rotten boy," Elmira says. "We are fortunate he is no longer in line to be our Alpha."

Ken snaps to attention. "Gram?"

Elmira sighs. "Marius has lost the Alpha spirit."

I sense that a pin has dropped but I'm not sure why. "Well can't he just do a seance and call it back? I think I've got a ghost board somewhere in my tattoos..."

"It's not like that," Ken says gruffly, squeezing my leg. "Every pack has an Alpha spirit, and it selects a pup from every generation to lead. Marius was the Alpha selection."

"A sore point between the cousins, I'm afraid," says Elmira.

"But you just said that he's lost the Alpha spirit?" I say, mind whirling. I feel a sense of foreboding, like I've Seen this already.

"Correct," Elmira says simply. "The Alpha spirit has a distinct scent. My husband had it. My son has it. One of my grandsons used to have it, and now..." she trails off, gazing on Ken, allowing us to come to the obvious conclusion.

"Oh shit." Ken breathes.

Shit indeed. "Does Marius know?" I ask.

"If he doesn't already, he will soon," Elmira says simply.

"He's going to be angry when he finds out," I shudder. There's something deep within that tells me I should be afraid of this new development, that tells me I should be taking action.

"Let him be angry. Who can he harm now, as just a Beta?" Ken sneers.

I frown at him. "You were a Beta not so long ago."

Ken doesn't like that. He bristles. "It's different now," and he says it with such conviction that my Mark tingles again. My eyebrows raise but I decide to keep my words to myself for the time being.

"Is this Alpha spirit something that you can just... lose?" I ask, and get no answer. "Does it just jump whenever it wants?"

"No," Elmira says. "In order for an Alpha selection to lose the Alpha spirit, they've got to displease the spirit."

"And how did Marius displease the Alpha spirit?"I ask, dreading the answer I'm pretty sure I already know.

"Barbie, he disrespected you," Ken says, like it's obvious.

"Marius disrespected the Oracle of the Shining Mother," Elmira adds. "The Alpha spirit is a gift to lycans from Her Radiance. By disrespecting Her Oracle, it was as if he affronted Her directly."

"He also colluded with the Circle. I'm sure She didn't like that either," I reason.

"So She took it back and gave it to me instead," Ken says, matter-of-factly.

"I think I'd like to take a walk," I say. Elmira gets a strange look, but says nothing. Ken gets up to come with me, but I place a hand on his shoulder. "Alone, please," I say gently. He growls a little, which pisses me off, who is he to growl at me? And he seems to recognize his error.

"I'll wait up," he says, giving my hand a kiss, allowing me space. I walk out the front door, wordless, mind turning.

How fucked is this situation? I've been here for two days, never intending to stay that long at all, and already I've completely changed the established dynamics of this lycan pack. They accept me as one of their own, because the Moon willed it so? How can I argue with that?

On top of that, I know that Jareth and the Circle are still coming for me. I can't let down my guard. I have to stay ready, at any time they may appear. Even though the wards I put up around the encampment borders are tight, I can't relax. I think I may walk along it again and add some reinforcements. I have recharged my energy after my forest romp with Ken, and I think I have enough to add a simple layer of cloaking. Anything to put my mind at ease.

I hear a crack in the trees and stop still. Calm down. Surely nothing is coming for me in this safe place. I just warded. Still, I cast out a werelight and it wobbles forward with its unearthly purple glow, and I see nothing. I put it out and decide I am just crazy.