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paulacasAuthor: YanzaDracan
Artist: bluefire986
Fandom(s): RPS —KANE, SPN, Leverage, ATS
Characters/Pairings: Christian Kane/Steve Carlson/Jensen Ackles; Jim Beaver/Samantha Ferris; Steven Williams (Rufus SPN); Members of KANE; Tim Hutton/Gina Bellman; Jared Padalecki/Matt Cohen; Jeffrey Dean Morgan; Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia ATS)
Rating: R; SEE WARNINGS
Word Count: 23,061
Warnings sexual context, non-con, violence, strong language, characters death, use of Christian icons, i.e., God, angels, demons, some as they have been used on Supernatural.
Summary: The Archangel Raziel (Secrets of God) creates The Hounds of God, humans who can shift into wolves, sense Evil and the supernatural. Through the generations these families have hunted in mated pairs. Christian and Steve are one such a mated pair. What happens when they meet unmated Hound, Jensen Ackles, who has a very murky past?
Based on tidbits on Wikipedia: Omnes angeli, boni et Mali, ex virtute naturali habent potestatem transmutandi corpora nostra - "All angels, good and bad have the power of transmutating our bodies"). St. Patrick was said to have transformed the Welsh king Vereticus into a wolf. Rare and lesser known account of an 80-year-old man named Thiess. In 1692, in Jurgenburg, Livonia, Thiess testified under oath that he and other Hounds were the Hounds of God. He claimed they were warriors who went down into hell to do battle with witches and demons.
Author’s Notes: Special THANKS to bluefire986 for the wonderful artwork, and for beta reading for me. Her help on this story has been a huge Blessing.
Standing on the fringes of the group, Jensen watched and listened as they planned, and got acquainted with the new members of their crew. He had seen the flash of recognition in Misha's eyes when Eric introduced them, but both men held their peace.
When loneliness and longing for a mate got to be too much, Jensen would often troll the places Hounds congregated hoping to find someone that flipped that magic switch that said MATE. He'd thought he'd found a strong possibility in a dark haired, blue eyed Hound that called himself Misha.
They'd flirted and danced, Jensen's hope had begun to unfurl in his chest until they'd walked back to their table to find a pretty brunette waiting for them.
"Vickie, this is…"
Before Misha could say his name the woman-Vickie-had interrupted.
"You sure he's one of us? He doesn't smell right."
As he walked away, he heard Misha reassuring her.
"It would only be one night, and he's very pretty…"
Jensen had tuned out the rest as he slid through the crowd and out the door. After that he stuck to his hunts, and resigned himself to being alone. Now he was going to have to live with Misha for the next six months. He retreated outside to smoke a cigarette.
After a few minutes, the breeze carried Misha's scent filled with sorrow to his sensitive nose.
"Something you want, Collins?" Jensen went on the offensive.
"I wanted to apologize…"
"Why? I don't know you so why are you apologizing?" Jensen's demon and wolf snarled in the back of his mind.
"Oh…I mean…it was in Boston…"
"Sorry, dude." Jensen snuffed out his cigarette and promptly shifted effectively ending their conversation.
Misha watched the larger wolf move toward the thin brown wolf he knew was Will Amend, the band's bass player, and playfully shouldered him until he toppled over in the grass.
He knew Jensen recognized him. He'd seen the flare of anger that turned the green eyes gold before it disappeared as fast as it came. Misha'd always felt guilty about the deception he'd played on the lonely man, but had never seen him again until Eric was introducing everyone. He'd have six months to prove to the hunter that he was sorry-he hoped Jensen would come to see that he and Vickie were good people, and didn't randomly go around picking up people to hurt them, they just wanted to have a little extra fun.
%%%%%
Christian and Steven had a system they had worked out over the years. The nights they ran, they would keep an eye on their clan until their first burst of energy wore off and they started to pair off or just stretch out to enjoy the freedom of their wolf bodies. After everyone started to settle they'd take off for a little time for themselves.
Looking around they saw Jensen watching the others run, hunt and enjoy being able to relinquish control for a little bit. Seeing everyone was safe and being watched over by the other hunter, they disappeared deeper into the woods.
They took advantage of being able to shift between human and wolf without destroying furniture or having the drywall repaired to engage in the roughhousing they were never able to do at the house. Stretched out in a secluded clearing, they were enjoying the last of their private time until the end of the tour. Christian was draped over Steve while they regained their senses, both men startled when their ears picked up the sounds of a Hound in battle.
They charged back toward the house just in time to see Jensen sink his fangs into the neck of Eric's PA. Orange light flared out of the slashes in the girl's skin as though she'd been cut with their bespelled knives, but they saw no knife, only Jensen with the tools nature had given him. The group watched in fear and awe as the demon died under Jensen's teeth.
Shifting back to human, he grabbed a bottle of Jack and swishing it around like mouthwash and spit on the PA's body.
"Fuck. I hate demon aftertaste."
He walked over and knelt down by where Ryan sat on the ground cradling an unconscious Hashana. He checked her over for injuries.
"I didn't mean to push her so hard." Sad green eyes looked down at the young woman.
"You kept her from being possessed. I can feel her starting to wake up." Ryan laid a hand on Jensen's arm. "How can that happen? I thought we couldn't be possessed."
"There is one brief moment during the shift when we are neither wolf nor human where the demon can slip into our bodies. Pushing Hashana was the only way I could think for her to finish the shift so demon couldn't reach her."
Hashana came awake abruptly looking around wildly.
"The demon!" Her breathing increased as she began to panic.
"Shhhh, baby." Ryan soothed. "It's dead. Jensen got you out of the way before it could touch you."
"Thank you." Her voice was shaky.
She buried her face in her mate's chest. Jensen reached out and with a gossamer touch brushed the hair off her temple to check the already healing bruise where he'd pushed a little too hard with his telekinesis causing her to hit her head on a deck post.
Gotten rusty. He thought to himself and silently vowed to work on his fine control when he could, hopefully without being noticed.
If Jensen thought it was odd no one questioned him about being able to kill a demon while in wolf form, he took it for a gift. He was in no way ready to talk about his conception and birth to people who were still strangers.
The evening continued though a little more subdued than before, no one strayed too far from the house. Jensen withdrew into the shadows nursing a beer and a cigarette keeping watch as the group finally relaxed.
As dawn colored the sky bodies of wolves and humans alike were sprawled through the house. Shifting back to his wolf form, Jensen stretched out across the patio door and fell into a light doze.
The pop and hiss of the coffee machine brought the mahogany wolf to full wakefulness and he saw Eric puttering around the kitchen. Shifting to human form, Jensen grabbed a cup of coffee and before KANE's manager could say anything he was out the door for his first cup and cigarette of the day.
%%%%%
Christian really hated conversations with Jim before he had his first cup of coffee-he always felt like he was two steps behind the researcher and his mate when he did. Sitting on the bed with his phone on speaker so Steve could hear, he was beginning to feel like he was betraying Jensen talking about him to the researcher.
"You say he killed a demon while in wolf form?" Beaver's voice started to go up.
"Yeah. The light leaked out of the slashes and bite marks as though it had been cut with one of our blades." Steve's voice was just as excited as Jim's.
"Oh my." Jim said as they heard him moving around the room.
"What do you mean 'oh my'?" Christian asked. He threw a sour look at Steve. "It's like you guys want to find something off about Jenny. What's with that?"
"Will said he tossed Hashana out of range of the demon without touching her." He scowled back at his mate. "Only angels and demons are telekinetic." He stated flatly.
"I hate to burst your little pique of jealousy, Steve," Jim's voice caused the mates to stop glaring at each other and turn their attention back to the phone. "There's something else that's telekinetic."
"What?" They asked in unison.
"In some of the mythos they're called a Champion, but in the oldest they're called Harbingers." The researcher answered.
"Whose side are they on?" Steve asked.
"That's where things get a little gray. It says one or two Harbingers are born every hundred years or so. They don't usually become known unless something big is crackin' on the horizon. If I'm translating this right they're the balance-keep balance-bring things back into balance…I'll have to double check my translation…see if all the texts say the same thing."
"So Jensen might be one of these Harbingers?" Christian asked.
"From what you've told me he has a lot of the traits. Questions around his birth, telekinesis, being able to kill demons in wolf or human form…" Jim trailed off.
Before either man could speak the researcher started to talk.
"You need to get him here so I can talk to him." His tone sounded insistent.
Jim's tone made the hackles on Christian's neck stand up.
"We leave tomorrow for a six month tour. I'm not fuckin' that up 'cause you got a hard on to talk to a living myth." Christian growled.
Steve's eyes were wide when he looked up.
"We'll talk to you later." Christian cut the call.
"What was that?" Steve asked, anger tingeing his voice. "Why are you so protective of someone we hardly know?"
"Why are you guys acting like he's some kind of freak of nature science project? He's one of us. A hunter. He just saved Hashana's life." Christian countered.
"You heard Jim. He IS a freak." Steve's voice was loud and argumentative.
A knock broke up their glaring contest. Steve walked over and jerked open the door.
"What!" He barked as he opened the door, and came face to face with Jensen.
Face an emotionless mask, Jensen looked between the two men before he spoke.
"Breakfast is ready." Spine stiff he went down the stairs and out the front door.
%%%%%
If anyone was surprised when Jensen climbed on the bus later that morning, no one gave any indication. Not privy to this morning's fiasco, Will called dibs on the top bunk while teasing Jensen about doing the 'old man' a favor so he wouldn't have to climb to get to his bed.
Jensen had given him an indulgent smile as he sorted out what was needed in the bus and what to put in cargo hold under the bus. Tucking the small duffle under his bunk, he rearranged the larger bag for storage, ignoring the fact that Steve Carlson was standing close enough that he couldn't draw a breath without breathing in the blond Hound.
Finished with the suitcase, he stood using his two inch height advantage to its fullest extent. The expression in the moss green eyes was bland as he took in the other members of the band over Steve's shoulder. He pulled his attention back to Steve, and waited for the older man to speak.
As the silence stretched, Jensen sighed inwardly. Obviously the only reason Steve was standing here was because Christian was glowering and everyone else was holding their breath. With a mental shrug he decided to break the stalemate.
"Since you don't want to do whatever it is you're standing here not doing I'll make it easy for you. I'm a freak among a whole species of freaks. If that's what's keeping your tail in a twist I'll stay with KANE until you find a replacement and you can be a merry band of normal freaks once again. 'Til then I'll be in my bunk so the sight of me doesn't raise your hackles, but at the moment I gotta take a piss."
The quiet click of the bathroom door broke the paralysis that had taken hold when Jensen began to speak. Christian stormed past Steve to their room in the back of the bus while the Ryan, Hashana and Will turned to stowing their gear leaving Steve standing in the middle of bus-alone.
Shaking himself mentally and physically, Steve followed Christian into their room. Seeing the tension in the trim body as he stared out the window, smelling his anger and disappointment, Steve ducked his head as he shut the door. Before he could speak Christian turned to face him.
"Who the fuck are you?" Christian's voice was tight with emotion, low with the need to keep this between them in a small space full of people with acute senses. "Where is the man who has been my mate for twelve years? One minute you're jokin' and strokin' with Jen jammin' the music, the next you're wantin' to burn him at the stake or put him in a cage so Jim can dissect and study him. Explain it to me 'cause you're actin' like you're the one fuckin' possessed, man."
His plan had been to have a calm conversation with his mate, but Christian's criticism sparked his anger. "Why are you so fucking protective of him Christian?" Steve snarled. "Is it that perfect cock sucking mouth or that tight ass? What…"
Before Steve could utter another word, Christian grabbed him by the nape and shoved him in their bathroom slamming the door. There was no other way to isolate them for the battle they were about to have. Feeling the bus lurch forward was a good thing, it would give them the added noise of the engine and road. He prayed to Raziel the others, especially Jensen, wouldn't hear.
"I'm protective of him because I'm supposed to be." He growled as they stood nose to nose in the tight space. "If you'd pull your head out of your ass long enough to listen to the Old Ones you'd know that, too."
Blue/grey eyes narrowed as the changeable blue eyes of his mate flicked away then back.
"You're jealous." He breathed deep. "You're afraid." Christian's brow pulled down in confusion. "Why are you afraid, Stevie?"
Steve looked down before burying his nose in Christian's neck, and mumbled something that even Hound ears couldn't decipher.
"Wanna try that in English, Bubba?" Christian pushed Steve back so he could look him in the face.
"Are you going to leave me?" Steve's voice was full of fear and anger.
"Is that what's got you in such a tailspin? You're my mate. I would no more leave you than I would run through the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night naked." He pulled Steve into a hard hug.
"But Jensen…" He mumbled in Christian's shoulder
"I admit there's a pull, but I'm not sure what it means." He pulled Steve out of the bathroom and onto the queen size bed.
"How are we going to find out what all this means." Steve asked as they curled around each other.
Resting his cheek on the blond head, Christian carded his fingers through the long hair for several minutes before he answered.
"Jim's starting to get a little too obsessed with Jensen. I think it's time to take this to Tim."
%%%%%
True to his word, the only time they saw Jensen was when Hashana forced them to share their meals, and on stage. It wasn't until they got to their fourth stop, a three day appearance in Dallas-Ft. Worth that they got a couple days in a hotel with time to do laundry, sleep in a bed that didn't move and a chance for a little space.
Christian watched as Will, Ryan and Hashana kept cajoling Jensen into the open. The younger Hound growled when Misha approached him, making him wonder what the history was between them. He was glad Jensen had agreed to room with Will and had not demanded a room of his own.
Watching the crowds in the hotel lobby part as Jensen led the band's younger members toward the elevators had Christian chuckling under his breath. Taking their keys from Eric, they trailed along behind.
The suitcase handle had barely left Steve's hand when Christian had him stripped and pinned to the bed before he could squawk his indignation.
His mate lay sprawled exhausted in the middle of the big bed, their lovemaking leaving him a sweaty, softly snoring masterpiece of tanned naked flesh. Slipping silently from the room, Christian went in search of a private place to make a much needed call.
%%%%%
Blue eyes watched in appreciation as his mate sashayed across the room to pick up his ringing phone. Hiding behind his paper, he closed his eyes and let the melodic tones of her English accent wash over his senses. He was caught in his revelry when the phone suddenly appeared between him and the paper.
"Christian." Gina gave her mate an indulgent smile.
"Kane, what disaster do you have for me to research now?" He asked brightly.
"That's not the only time I call your lazy ass." Christian teased.
"Granted, but I don't hear Steve in the background yelling for my attention so I can only assume the world is ending in some way and you're ass deep in trouble."
"Maybe…I'm not sure…that's why I'm calling the head scribe." Christian ran his hand through his hair.
"Quit pulling your hair out and tell Uncle Tim what's wrong." He snickered.
"Fuck you, Hutton." Christian chuckled before getting serious. "I need you to rein in Jim."
"What's he done now?" The master archivist sighed.
"He's about to kidnap my guitar player for a research project." Christian heard himself snarl and quickly tamped down his temper.
"Woah! Why would he kidnap Jason?"
"Not Jason, my new one, Jensen Ackles. He's got it in his head Jensen is something called a Harbinger."
"What happened to Jason?" Tim asked as he headed for his office.
"Moved on to projects closer to home." Christian explained.
Fitting in his Bluetooth so he could type, Tim started his search.
Fighting the urge to chew his thumbnail, Christian waited for Tim to finish his search.
"Jim could be right."
Christian's wolf snarled.
"You are not studying him like a lab rat." His tone brooked no argument.
Tim heard the protective tone in Christian's voice, but he also heard a possessive snarl. *Well hell.*
"Not about the studying him part." Tim soothed the younger Hound. "Usually when a Harbinger becomes known the shit's about to get deep because Hell's about to start a run for the gates."
"Are they the first line of defense or the last?" Christian's voice had turned thoughtful.
"Both."
"Fuck." He rubbed a hand over his face.
"It gets worse." Tim hated this part of being an archivist.
"How does it get any fuckin' worse than that?"
"Have you ever met any old Harbingers?"
"I'd never even heard of them at all until Jim brought it up and got Steve's panties in a bunch."
Tim closed his eyes. This could be very bad.
"Christian do you feel protective of Jensen?"
"Yeah. It's what the Old Ones want me to do."
"What about Steve?"
"He's been jealous of Jensen since they met at his dad's birthday party. After a really bad scene before the tour, I found out he's jealous and afraid I'm going to leave him."
"I know you smacked some sense into him." Tim quipped.
"You could say that. Let's just say we've been putting extra work into listening to his guides."
"That's good because I think you have a huge job ahead of you if we survive whatever is coming."
Christian groaned. Tim chuckled before he got serious.
"Another reason there aren't any old Harbingers is that they don't survive very long after whatever disaster they avert."
"Why?"
"Reading the notes of my predecessors…shit."
"Tim!"
"Christian, have you ever seen The Matrix?"
"Yeah, but what the fuck does that have to do with Jensen?"
"Did you see the last one?"
"You mean the whole messianic sacrifice thing? You're not telling me Harbingers all die to stop whatever apocalypse is coming?"
"No, but it changes them, activates abilities that keep them walking closer to the ethereal than to mundane. If they're not grounded they eventually go insane or just disappear."
"What happens to the insane ones?" Christian sounded choked.
"We usually have hunters on standby to put them down-permanently." Tim said matter-of-factly.
Christian felt his stomach roll at the thought of Jensen being run to ground and killed.
"How are they grounded?"
"They have to form a triad." Tim continued reading as though he was lecturing a class. We don't know a lot for sure. Only three ever survived their event. One went insane because she couldn't find her mates, one wandered away never to be heard from again and one found his mates. That's the only reason we know it has to be a triad. They remained close to the archives center though they still hunted."
"Wonder whose bright idea that was?" Christian growled.
"You ever meet Raziel you can ask him." Tim chuckled.
"How can we find Jen's mates?"
"You can't." Tim tried to keep the smile out of his voice.
If all Christian's worry and questions were any indication, Jensen had found his mates if they could get Steve to come around. If Steve didn't feel the same pull toward Jensen that Christian seemed to be feeling…Tim signed and made a note to check KANE's tour dates and update his list of hunters in case Jensen needed put down. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a growl in his ear.
"You better not be doing what I think you are, Hutton."
Tim sputtered. "What…?"
"You heard me. You send someone after Jenny and I'll kill them myself."
"Christian…"
"I mean it, Tim. I see anyone I think you or Jim sent, and an insane Harbinger will be the last thing you need to worry about."
"It could be a moot point. There may not be an event, and if there is he probably won't survive." Tim tried to make Christian hear what he was saying.
"If the worst happens and he loses his sanity because we can't find his mates, I'll take him down myself."
Tim gasped, but before he could argue further the call disconnected.
"Stubborn Okies." He muttered before conferencing his network of researchers and had them begin looking for signs and omens of a coming apocalyptic event. Then he had a private chat with Jim Beaver about his newest obsession.
%%%%%
When Christian slipped back in the room he could hear the sounds of Steve beginning to wake. It was still hours before they had to be anywhere so he let his hands and mouth rouse his groggy mate in a slow and tender fashion using the love and passion coming through his bond with Steve to chase away the images of a dead or insane Jensen.
Pulling a brush through his unruly hair, he growled at Steve's chuckle as he watched Christian do battle with his curls. He began to ruthlessly drag the curls into a ponytail when Steve grabbed his hand.
"Leave them. I miss seeing them." He crooned.
Christian pulled the hair tie over his wrist as he sent the curls into disarray by running his hands through them. He then looked at the clock on his phone.
"We better get everyone and head for the bus." He turned to gather his guitar and coat.
"Christian?" The question in Steve's voice made him sigh. "What's wrong?"
Steve waited for an answer. Things had gotten better since the blow up on the bus. They'd been working on his connection with his guides. He could feel the pull toward Jensen that Christian talked about, his jealousy and fear of his mate leaving him had evaporated. He'd apologized to Jensen, who looked at him with doubt and suspicion, but accepted his apology. He was obviously waiting for the next attack, but cautiously accepted the attempt Steve had been making. Pulling out of his thoughts, he saw Christian getting ready to blow off his concern until he looked at him.
"I talked to Tim." He said simply. He held up his hand to stall Steve's questions. "There's no time now, but we'll talk after the show.
"It's bad?" He asked as they headed toward Jensen and Will's room.
"It can be."
Steve nodded as he knocked while Christian walked across the hall to Ryan's room.
%%%%%
As Misha drove them to the venue they speculated about what the catering company would provide that would tempt a Hound's finicky palate. Christian and Steve both stole glances at Jensen as he sat away from the group reading something on his tablet computer. Wanting to draw him to the group, Steve spoke up.
"Anything interesting?"
"Huh…what? Oh, no, just checking my rss feeds seeing what's happening in the world of conspiracy theory and ghost hunters." He deflected.
He tucked the tablet away, as his thoughts turned inward.
Still wound up from the show, Jensen was relieved Will went out with Ryan and Hashana when they returned to the hotel. Razzy and Lilith had been appearing in his dreams and it was making his wolf edgy. Hitting the news services he started searching for signs of seals breaking or gates opening. He could feel something building like an itch under his skin, and he was determined not to be blindsided.
The Mayans might have a end of the world headlines now, but Jensen was determined to be ready for whichever one of the so-called Doomsday prophets were right.
His whole life, even his conception had been in preparation for this moment. Steven had drug him from pillar to post ferreting out anyone who could speak truthfully about the Mayans and all the other prophecies. The Morningstar didn't care what they called him as long as he came out the winner.
If Jensen ever got to meet Lilith he wanted to ask her why she bred children to defeat the 'Fallen' while standing by his side. Maybe it was the ultimate mind fuck, or maybe it was thumbing her nose at God for trying to make her Adam's bitch. He never pretended to understand people's psychology. It just gave him a headache, but he appreciated her ability to play the ends against the middle and still walk away unscathed.
Shaking the past from his thoughts, he got to work on the future.
%%%%%
Misha Collins was a frustrated man. Jensen had thwarted all his attempts to have a conversation. He finally resorted to pinning Jensen against wall as he stepped out of the bus' shower while everyone else was inside getting seated for breakfast.
The hunter went still as the dark-haired man held a forearm across his throat.
"Something you wanted, Collins?" Jensen sounded bored.
"Yes. I wanted to apologize for what I did, and prove to you that Vickie and I aren't bad people, we just like to have a little extra fun."
A reddish brown eyebrow arched at the comment.
"You have a very strange way of proving it."
Misha blushed hotly and stepped back.
"You wouldn't give me a chance to explain."
"Yeah well you have to look at it from my point of view. It was a total mind fuck for me. So you keep right on telling yourself what a wonderful person you are, and we'll just have to agree to disagree." Jensen straightened from the wall. "If you don't mind I need to get dressed." Jensen said as he reached for his duffle.
"No. I want…"
Faster than he could blink, Misha found his throat encased in a hand that looked like something out of Underworld. He felt the rough pads and deadly claws scraping the skin from his neck.
"I don't really care what you want." Fangs showed in Jensen's smile. "If you want to see your twisted little wench of a mate again, you'll drive the bus and stay the fuck away from me."
Misha scrabbled backward when Jensen dropped him and turned his attention back to getting dressed. He'd never heard of such a thing as a Hound being able to transform parts of their body, but Jensen was a hunter and they were always different from normal Hounds.
"We won't be having this conversation again." Jensen said as he paused on the bus steps.
Misha shook his head.
"Good. We'll both be happier."
Jared and Matt came around the bus and looked up in the windshield to see Misha sprawled in the seat looking like he'd seen a ghost. Curious, Jared stuck his head in the door.
"Misha, you comin' to breakfast, dude?"
Pulling himself upright, Misha fussed with his uniform until it was straightened.
"Thanks for the offer, but I ate while everyone was sleeping. I've got to do my pre-trip and paperwork for the day." He hoped his smile was convincing to the younger men.
"Later, man." Jared gave him a wave and caught up with Matt. Using Matt as a shield, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed.
"It's starting."
Taking comfort in his familiar routine, Misha resigned himself to the fact they'd finally made a mistake that he couldn't fix with an apology and a smile.
Pleased that Misha would no longer be trying to fawn over him to get forgiveness for mistakes of the past, Jensen was still a little concerned over how volatile his temper was becoming. They had a week long layover in Los Angeles, he hoped the time out of the bus would give him the space to get his emotions back under control. Christian and Steve wanted everyone to stay at their place for a little 'clan time' as Steve called it. Jensen had his doubts, but he and the blond guitarist had been getting along better, and he really didn't want to spend a week in hotel when he could spend it in a Hound friendly house with Kane or Carlson cooking.
%%%%%
Standing in the backyard looking toward the Stone Canyon Reservoir, Jensen was glad he'd let them talk him into staying at the house. Looking at the huge house, he figured Christian and Steve must be really famous to afford this place. As he walked back toward the house he heard Hashana ask the same question.
"Funny story actually." Christian said as he fired up the grill. "We were digging up a grave for a salt and burn and about halfway down we find this chest, inside were coins and jewels and all kinds of stuff like you see comes off one of those Spanish galleons so we set it to the side and finished the job, reburied the grave and hauled the chest home with us. It paid for this place and the house in Nashville with a little left over for our retirement."
The conversation moved to sunken ships, buried treasure, and reality shows about prospecting. Knowing it would be awhile until supper Jensen shifted and headed through the trees. He doubted he would be missed, he felt the urge to stretch out and run.
Two sets of blue eyes watched the mahogany wolf streak through the cedars.
%%%%%
It was the last day they would get to spend not sleeping in a bus size bed until the end of the tour so while everyone was enjoying one last Carlson breakfast for the next three months. Christian stood and all eyes looked up expectantly.
"Since this will be our last opportunity to be ourselves for the remainder of the tour, we'll be spending the night in the 'clan' room after a last run around the reservoir to work off the after show endorphins."
Will took pity on the confusion in Jensen's eyes.
"They had a mattress made that covers half the room and sleeps a lot of people very comfortably-pretty much a puppy pile." He chuckled.
At Jensen continued confusion he continued.
"When you were a kid didn't you and your friends ever shift and just nap in a big pile of bodies?"
"No. I'd sometimes curl up with my mom until she died, but my guardian wasn't much on napping…I need a refill." Jensen grabbed his cup, headed for the kitchen, but didn't return.
All eyes turned to Will.
"What? I was just explaining about puppy piles."
"We cooked, y'all can clean." Christian ordered as he and Steve went in search of Jensen.
They found him standing at the edge of the property staring into the canyon with his ever present coffee and cigarette. They stopped on either side.
"You really need to cut back on those things." Christian commented.
Jensen continued to look at the scenery.
"I didn't realize how much of a freak I was until I met you people. I knew I was different, raised different, away from others, only mingling with the Clan when absolutely necessary." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Could be because Steven wasn't very sociable and hated Jeff-but something is coming, and Steven was constantly looking at the ancient prophecies to try and determine why I was born." A shudder racked his body.
Christian and Steve stepped closer, their shoulders brushing, giving their support.
"I can feel myself changing." He held up a hand he shifted. "I look like something out of VanHelsing." His chuckle was bitter. "I can see my mother's contribution to my DNA." His hand shifted back.
"Jensen." Steve laid a hand on his shoulder.
Jensen continued as though he hadn't spoken.
"I need you as hunters to promise me something." He looked back and forth between the mates.
"Sure, Hoss, whatever you need." Christian grabbed Jensen's hand.
"If I go dark side, kill me." He said flatly.
"Jensen." Steve started.
"You said whatever I needed. This is what I need."
Before Steve could object, Christian grabbed Steve's hand making a connection between them.
"We promise, but it's not gonna be necessary, 'cause we're not lettin' you go anywhere." Christian vowed.
Two sets of eyes turned to Steve.
"This is our vow." Steve moved his hand from Jensen's shoulder to his hand.
The energy that moved through the three Hounds cementing their connection drove the men to their knees. When they came back to their senses it was to find Jensen had been added into their mate bond, it was warning them that the younger man was about to bolt. Christian and Steve used their combined strength to hold him to them.
"Easy, Jenny. Let it settle. No reason to panic." Christian began a litany to try and calm Jensen.
The last thing they needed was him shifting in a panic, hurting himself or them. Steve soon followed Christian's lead. They could feel Jensen fighting through the panic of having two other people in his head, after a few minutes they felt Jensen relax.
"Fuck." He muttered.
"Jensen, what do you know about being a Harbinger?"
"We all die at the end of the reel." He answered bluntly.
"Who told you that bullshit?" Steve demanded.
"Steven. It's what all the prophecies say. When our task is finished there's nothing left. We're made for one purpose. To keep the balance."
"I say we have this conversation some place more comfortable. I have sand burrs stabbing me in the ass." Christian complained.
Closing themselves in the 'clan' room, Christian explained everything Tim Hutton, the Hounds' chief archivist, had told him about Harbingers.
Looking at the two men who'd battled with him and each other for his friendship, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them he began to speak.
"My mother was possessed by Lilith, who raped my father to became pregnant with me…"
At the end of the telling, they drifted until the others came looking for them to get on the bus.
When they got back from the show their last night at home, the new triad had gone into the office and called Hutton. The chief archivist had nearly creamed his jeans when they told what had happened. Before they ended the call, Jensen had gotten a jab in at the scribe.
"Call off your boy, Jared. I'd hate to have to hurt some snot nosed hunter because he 's about as sneaky as Big Foot." Jensen growled.
"How…?" Tim sputtered before sheepishly agreeing. "He didn't like what he was doing anyway."
Business out of the way they joined the others for an evening like few others in Jensen's memory, and when he woke the next morning his head on Steve's shoulder and Christian sprawled across them both with the rest of the KANE family sprawled and tangled around them he knew in his soul this was where he was meant to be.
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Life on the bus was much more pleasant not having to tiptoe around Steve and Jensen. Though the mates tried to cajole Jensen to move into the master bedroom, the younger Hound refused.
No one said anything the first morning that Jensen came out of the master bedroom-they just all sat around with smirks on their faces like it had been their idea.
Jensen knew the only reason they had a bond of any kind was because of the whole Harbinger thing so he retreated. Even with Tim explaining that their bond would keep him sane if he lived through whatever was going to happen he knew there would never be a place for him with them. The close quarters of the past three months found him becoming besotted with the handsome men, and their bond was both a gift and a curse.
He could feel their fondness and concern for him through their connection, and while Christian had always been physically affectionate with him, Steve had always been a bit aloof. He could also feel that while Christian was attracted to him, he felt the same when he saw any handsome man or beautiful woman. Steve merely felt mild affection so when they tried to coax him into their bed he knew it was because they thought that's what they were supposed to do since they were bonded. It was a lonely place for the Harbinger.
Jensen continued watching for signs that would give him a clue as to what he needed to do. Raziel and Lilith still appeared in his dreams. They stood side by side like spectators at their kid's soccer match. Jensen's feelings about Lilith were so jumbled he didn't know whether to hate or admire her.
Now his surrogate parents stood side by side waiting for him to assimilate the information they were downloading into his brain through his dreams. Hours of meditation as the bus rolled from city to city left his head spinning with the things they showed him.
Dark circles appeared under the moss green eyes as nightmares from the things he learned chased him from his bed until Steve or Christian would leave their room to drag their reluctant bond mate into their big bed where sleep came easily and the nightmares were blocked.
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An extra day between cities gave everyone a chance to catch up on their sleep and relax. Christian and Steve had left Jensen burrowed in the middle of their bed after a week of little sleep. They didn't know he wasn't sleeping until, hearing a thump they found Jensen on his hands and knees on the floor of the bus.
They hadn't wanted to get up this morning, but Eric wanted to meet to go over the numbers and fan responses to the tour so far. Everyone loved Jensen, the record company was anxious to get the whole band back in the studio to record their new material Eric had caught on video when KANE would offer the crowd a sneak peek to determine the song's worth.
After Eric left, Christian and Steve remained at the table, finishing off the last of Hashana's great coffee. They could feel the lonely echoes in their bond with Jensen before the younger man blocked them, and felt guilty for not pulling him fully into their relationship. Steve suggested they just seduce him. Christian had looked at him like he'd slapped his mother.
"That's the worst idea you've ever had, and you've had some monumentally bad ones."
"It's a solid idea."
"I've got one word for ya. Misha."
They'd pulled the driver to the side when they'd felt Jensen's aversion to the affable man. Misha had told them of his poor judgement several years before.
"Point. There has to be something."
"Do you love him?" Christian asked.
The pale blue eyes were sad when they met his, and shook his head.
"You can't lie through the bond." He reminded his mate.
Steve had flushed and looked away.
Christian sighed. His feelings for Jensen were changing and growing. He knew what it was like to be an outcast, the new boy, the different one, and how deeply affected when Jensen had told them his story. As much as he loved his mate, he couldn't understand how Steve could hear the story, and remained untouched emotionally. Though Steve had been diligent about opening himself to his guides there was going to have to be a breakthrough or they would be going into whatever battle awaited Jensen divided and they would lose him.
The door of their room sliding open pulled him from his thoughts. Seeing a rumbled Jensen blink at them owlishly, made his heart clench as Jensen climbed into his bunk and pulled the curtain, shutting everyone out.
The flash of sadness he seen in the green eyes before Jensen had turned away decided Christian. When the tour was finished he'd be contacting the spiritual elder of Wolf Clan. It was time to put a stop to Steve's stubbornness before it was too late.
%%%%%
Breathing a sigh of relief he climbed off the bus for the last time in front of the house they'd left six months earlier. Though he had stuck to his training regime as much as possible, Jensen knew he needed to get back on top his game. The band had the rest of the month off, and he'd made a list of places he needed to visit to confirm if they had anything to do with what he was being shown in the dream time.
They'd ordered their favorite pizza, done a beer run-simply enjoying being in the familiar smells and feel of home. When everyone gathered for breakfast the next morning there was a very conspicuous absence. Steve shuffled back the hall and knocked on Jensen's door, but the door swung open when his knuckles rapped the first time.
"Hey, Jen, do we have to hook you up…" He pushed the door the rest of the way to find the room looking just as it did the day before.
He returned to the kitchen looking slightly shell shocked. Christian took one look and moved to his side.
"Steve?"
"He's gone." He looked up at Christian. "How could he leave and we not know it? We're bonded."
"Only on a superficial level-it's not as deep as our mate bond."
Christian's phone rang before anything else could be said. With a particularly nasty curse, he picked it up to see Eric's number.
"Not a good time, Griffin." He growled.
"Thought you might want to know I got an email from your boy." He ignored Kane's growling. "Says he'll be back when it's time to go back to work." He decided to poke Christian while he was safely on the other side of town. "You haven't even been home a day-that's quick work even for you, Kane."
Christian could hear snickering as his manager hung up. He looked up to see five sets of expectant eyes watching him.
"He sent Eric an email sayin' he'd be back." He stalked up the stairs to their room.
Snapping his jaw shut, Steve hurried after Christian to find him standing on their balcony staring down the hill toward the river.
"Chris…"
Steve stepped back from Christian's expression when the brunette swung around, eyes flashing blue fire.
"You were supposed to have fixed this. He should have been in here in this bed not out skulking around and leaving us, but you don't want to work on whatever is blocking you for fear of what?-Steve? We've been through this. It's us-together-with him. Us! Fuck it all." He stalked back outside before he said or did something that couldn't be fixed.
"What do you want me to do?" Steve asked quietly.
"I want US to go to Running Dog, and stay until we figure this out."
Steve laid a hand on his mate's shoulder.
"Christian…" His voice was choked.
Unable to bear his mate in pain, he turned and pulled the blond into his arms.
"We'll fix this, darlin', I swear." He crooned.
They went down to the kitchen to tell the others their decision so they could make their plans accordingly. Ryan and Hashana were going back to Arizona. Will decided to go home for a visit, but would be back at the end of the month. With plans in place, everyone relaxed, and after breakfast they got started.
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