6. Tyler

Ileap off the bench as shattered glass bursts across the lawn from the window. The alarm bell is so loud I have to cover my ears. Cops inside the lobby look around in confusion. Someone picks up a phone and shouts into it. The nearby entrance door hangs open as if it was blown out by a gust of wind.

Kalistratos's powers. It's the first thing that pops into my head. But where is he?

A car honks its horn twice behind me. I spin around to an old Dodge pulled up to the curb. There's a disheveled man with a ZZ Top beard wearing a jail uniform behind the wheel. He leans up to the open window.

"Your Uber has arrived," he says. "I've got your friend here."

I pull open the door and see a red chicken sitting on the passenger seat. It looks up at me with bright copper eyes.

"What the hell?" I say.

"Not another word," Kalistratos clucks.

We're a few blocks away from the station now. The bearded man pulls off his shirt and tosses it into the back seat.

"Hide that for me, would you?" he says. "Wouldn't be good if someone spots a guy in orange driving a stolen car."

"Jesus," I mutter. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Name's Nelly. You?"

"Tyler," I say. "Thanks for getting Kalistratos out of there."

"Don't mention it."

"Just a moment!" says Kalistratos, puffing out his feathers. "It was I who got you out."

"This is true," Nelly replies. "But I was instructed to be there. I saw it in my dreams."

"Hold on, hold on, hold on," I say. "Kalistratos. Why are you a chicken?"

He looks at me, then in a flash shifts back to his human form. Tufts of red feathers drift around the cabin.

"I don't know," he says with an exhausted grunt. "Something about your world has hampered my powers."

"So… are you some kind of chicken alien?" Nelly asks. "The Bird Man has been beaming messages into my brain for weeks. I knew it was all real."

"I'm Phoenikos," Kalistratos says. "Not a damn chicken." Copying Nelly, he pulls off his jail uniform top and throws it into the backseat.

"Damn, fella!" Nelly says. "I knew you had to be ripped, but… They have gyms up in space, or what?"

"Did you say Bird Man?" I ask. "What Bird Man?"

"Yeah, the Bird Man! Showed up in my dreams and wouldn't leave me alone. He said, get yourself to jail, Nelly. There's a fella I need you to help. So, that's what I did. I went and robbed that gas station, and sure enough, just like he said, you were in there waiting for me. Maybe now I can finally have some peace and quiet."

Kalistratos glances back at me from the front seat. I raise my eyebrow. I know what he's thinking.

The Great Phoenix.

"I've always known aliens are real," Nelly goes on. "Jesus was an alien, too. So, if an alien needs my help, you goddamn better believe I'm gonna do it. So, where do you need me to take you? If we need to drive out to Roswell, all you need to do is ask. We'll just need to ditch this car."

"No, no," I say. "I think you've put yourself at enough risk. If you can take us across town to Shoreport, we'll be fine."

"This Bird Man," Kalistratos says. "Did he not tell you anything further?"

"There was one thing… A symbol."

"What symbol?" asks Kalistratos.

"Let's see… Maybe they've got a…" Nelly reaches over and digs through the glove compartment, swerving the wheel back and forth as he yanks stuff out. Finally, he finds a pen. "Your hand, please?"

"Just watch the road!" I exclaim as I lean between the seats and jab my finger at the cars slowing down.

Nelly slams on the brakes and we come to a stop at the light just short of rear-ending the car in front of us. Kalistratos has his hands pressed up against the ceiling.

"Thank you," Nelly says, and he takes my arm and draws something on my wrist. "There. Something like this."

I squint at the smudged doodle. It looks like he'd just taken the pen and swirled it around to draw a really crudely formed spiral. It might as well be a random scribble.

(Placeholder image)

"What the hell is that?" Kalistratos asks.

Nelly shrugs. "Well, I'd say it's some kind of an eye. I dunno. I'm no artist. But that's pretty close to what I saw. He said it would help guide you to him."

Kalistratos and I exchange another glance. I know he's thinking the same thing I am—are we sure this guy isn't just crazy?

We part ways with Nelly outside of my apartment complex.

"Thank you, friend," Kalistratos tells him. "If I had any treasure to part with, I would give it all to you."

"Nah, don't mention it. I'm just honored I was able to help out. I promise, your presence here stays secret with me. Ol' Nelly won't snitch. But, hey… If your kind ever is gonna do any abductions, I volunteer. Bring me up to your spaceship, baby."

Kalistratos looks perplexed.

"Thanks, Nelly," I say, ushering Kalistratos along. "We'll pass that along to the Bird Man for you. We'd better get moving."

"Take care, kiddos!"

With a squeal of rubber, Nelly peels away from the curb. Kalistratos steps back and staggers. I've seen him in this state before, completely drained of his energy after using his powers. Not good. He's on the verge of passing out—and I don't want to be seen dragging a shirtless man back to my apartment.

I put his arm around my shoulder and guide him through the complex as I dig through my pocket for my keys. This is all so weird. I'm going through a routine that feels like it belongs to a different version of myself, one that I let go of a long time ago.

I unlock the door and help him inside onto the couch. On the coffee table is the bowl of popcorn I left out when I'd knocked out watching YouTube videos all night on my phone. I'd gotten up and rushed out to catch the bus to work. It's still crunchy and fresh. And why wouldn't it be? Here, it's only been a day since I left.

I find a blanket and drape it over Kalistratos. His eyes are shut, his forehead dotted with sweat, and his chest rises and falls with deep, even breaths. I brush back a strand of his dark hair and take a seat on the arm of the couch. The wall clock ticks loudly in the quiet apartment, joined by the steady hum of my refrigerator. A helicopter drones on overhead. I feel like a stranger in my own home.

"I'm so glad you're here, Kalistratos," I say softly. "I don't know what I would do otherwise."

He stirs and reaches for my hand. I take it and press it to my lips.

"You're a fool if you think I wouldn't come after you," he grumbles. "You are my mate."

"I'm your mate?" I say, gently teasing him. It's the first time I've heard him call me this. "Am I your mate, now?"

"I hope so," he murmurs, peeking at me from one partially opened eye. "I came all of this way."

I laugh. "Mate," I repeat, then lean over and kiss him. He tilts his chin to push his lips to mine and brushes my cheek with his fingertips.

"Don't underestimate the devotion of a Phoenikos," he says, opening the other eye. He smiles at me tiredly. "I am by your side forever, even into the afterlife."

"Well, I know this place feels like it could be hell, but we're not dead yet."

"Your world is chaos. Nothing makes sense."

I laugh. "Says the man from a place where frogs can talk. Speaking of frogs, I can't believe you beat that man up, Kalistratos! He was wearing a costume!"

"What kind of idiot would dress as an Erpetosi?" he says. "How did you even know about that?"

"I saw it on the news. Imagine my surprise seeing you half-naked on the TV pummeling the shit out of Kermit the Frog."

"You…saw it? I don't understand. A vision?"

I shake my head and brush his hair with my fingers. "Don't worry about it."

"You must tell me what happened to you. How were you injured? And what happened to your chiton?"

I sigh. "I don't know. I found myself back in the exact moment when I was taken to Circeana. And then I got hit by a car."

"Kah. Those metal chariot beasts."

"Uh, yeah. They're machines. I guess they're kind of like the fliers from your world."

"Masheens," he repeats.

I shake my head. "Like I said, don't worry about it. I woke up in the hospital—uh, that's like, a place of healing—and it felt like my whole body was broken. They said I had cracked ribs. But the crazy thing is…" I lift the bottom of my shirt and show him the side of my torso. "Does it look like I've been hit by a car to you?"

He carefully caresses my side. There's hardly any pain.

"No bruising," he mutters. "No pain?"

"No. Not really. I healed. I don't know how, but I did."

"A human should not recover from such an injury so quickly," he remarks. "But a Phoenikos…"

"I'm not a phoenix," I say. "I can't transform into a chicken."

Kalistratos snorts. "Have you tried? You are different, Tyler. Otherwise, you would not have been able to heal your wounds. And…"

He places his palm against my stomach. I hold his hand there. I know the pain is plain on my face, even though I'm trying hard to hide it.

"They were real," I say quietly, almost to myself.

"Indeed. And we will find a way to return to Circeana and get our child back."

Hearing him say the words "our child" takes me by surprise and completely breaks me. I turn and try to hide my face from him, but he takes my head in his hands and presses my forehead to his.

I'm pretty much full-on snotty nose blubbering. I'd thought I'd done a pretty good job of managing the weight of everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, but this was just too much. All of it was coming out, both my joy and grief.

I realize tears are streaming down Kalistratos's face, too. He doesn't hide it. His eyes are wide with fire and passionate determination.

"I promise you, Tyler," he says. "This is not over."

I squeeze my arms around his neck and he kisses me. I move on top of him, straddling his hips as I push my face into his neck.

"Thank you," I whisper.

I rub myself against him, slowly massaging his bulge with mine. His body immediately responds, and I can feel the strength of his cock pushing through the blanket. He groans, and I draw the blanket back to reveal the tented fabric of his orange prison pants below. I press my palm against his inner thigh, hooking my thumb around the rigid impression, and hold him straight up.

I want to replenish him. I want him to know how much I need him.

I untie the knot on the drawstring of the pants and slip my hand beneath the waistband to greet his erection with my eager fingertips. The delicious heat of his cock fills my palm, and I lick and nibble the side of his neck as I rub him down to the soft flesh of his sack.

Kalistratos kisses me, then tugs my shirt over my head and tosses it to the floor. His lips find my collarbone and his stubble scratches against my chest as he moves down to flick his tongue across my aroused nipples. I close my eyes and drift away into the pleasure of touching and being touched by him. I love his body. I love the way he smells and the way he tastes. It's heaven. Being with him is heaven.

I slide down his body and take his pants with me. I toss them onto the floor next to my shirt. His cock stands tall, and I take a moment to just admire his unique phoenix anatomy. The way it"s ridged like it's perfectly designed to pleasure me. The slight curve. The shape of his head. It"s a beautiful color. No human cock could ever compare. Goddamn, he's fucking gorgeous.

I'm rock hard and dripping with precome for him. My damn mouth is watering.

I dip down and push my face against his shaft, nuzzling my nose into the dark twist of his pubes. He hasn't bathed in a day or so—I suppose the last time was at the monastery in Athenos—and his scent is thick and delicious. I take a deep breath of him. He makes my head spin. Pure pheromones.

Then I taste him. I want to go slow and tease him a bit, but I find myself swallowing his cock to the hilt within seconds. I'm desperately starved for him, and there is still a lingering disbelief that I have him back in my arms. Or maybe it's fear—fear that we could be torn apart again at any moment. I hold him in my throat and bask in the way he moans with a tilt of his head, the euphoric bliss written plainly on his face. Only I can give him this kind of pleasure, and Kalistratos is eager to show me.

"W-wait," he grunts as I caress him with my tongue, applying the perfect amount of suction to just the right places. "Not yet…"

But I can't let him go. I want to feel the tremors of his climax while he's in my mouth and watch his expression shift as I suck every last drop of come from his throbbing cock. I want to taste all of him.

He grips at the cushions and thrusts his hips forward. He can't stop it from coming now; I've already pulled him over the edge. His teeth clench into that sexy-ass snarl I love so much, and he pushes his fingers through my hair in a commanding grip as his eyes flash brightly, locked to mine. As I swallow him one last time, I give him a pleading look to give me his orgasm.

His cock tightens in my mouth, then his delicious finish bursts onto my tongue. There's so much, and when he withdraws from my lips, I open up and let him see the mouthful I'm about to swallow. He smiles through his hard breaths, then leans in, tips my chin up with one finger, and kisses me. His tongue sweeps across mine, drawing his thick seed into his mouth. I wrap a hand around the back of his neck and trap him against me, fighting to take back what I earned. With a playful grin and our lips still locked together, I flick my tongue against his and drink down his pearly relief in one showy swallow.

"Mine," I say.

Kalistratos grabs me and tosses me into the couch cushions. Oh yeah. His energy is definitely back.

"Then it's time for me to claim what's mine," he says with a smile as he unbuckles my belt and shimmies my pants down my hips.

My cock bounces up like a spring, gleaming needily with precome. Kalistratos spits into his palm and grasps me, twistingly slightly as he strokes me from head to base.

"Oh, fuck," I murmur excitedly. "God, yes. I love the way your hand feels around me"

I pull my legs back, eager for him to tease my entrance. I see he's already rock hard for me, and he takes his length in his fist and rubs his tip against me.

We both realize something is different. I'd gotten too used to being an omega.

"Is everything alright?" Kalistratos asks as I stand up.

"Yeah, just give me a second."

I rush to my bedroom and pull open the first drawer of my dresser. Tucked away in the corner next to a box of Trojans is a bottle of lube. I bring it back to the couch.

"As you were," I tell him with a smile.

"What is this salve?" he asks as I spread it over his cock.

"It's called lube," I say. "I don't have the same, uh, benefits here that I do in your world. I can't get wet."

"What cruel gods created your world, Tyler?" he says. "How can an omega expect to take his mate if he cannot get aroused?"

"Oh, I'm aroused," I say, gripping my erection. "But… I'm not an omega here, Kalistratos. I'm just a guy."

He scoffs, then leans forward between my legs. I feel the heat of his cock against mine.

"Nonsense," Kalistratos says, caressing my face with his palm. "There is more to being an omega than just your physical body. You will always be an omega—my omega—just as I will always be Phoenikos, even if I can only transform into a damned chicken."

I burst into a fit of laughter. God, I love this man.

"Alright, then," I say. "Fuck me like an omega."

I take his cock into my hand and guide it to my entrance. The pressure is immense—he's huge, and this body isn't used to his size yet. I grimace as he eases himself in, and nod for him to keep going. It's like being fucked for the first time. It's overwhelming and it's painful, but it also feels so damn good. I guess it's like being an omega. It's more than just the physical. I love knowing he's inside of me. I love feeling this close to him. And I love that I can take all of him.

Kalistratos's abs push against my balls as he hits his full length and pauses with a groan. I can feel the wonderful pulse of his heartbeat deep within me, and I nod to him that I'm ready for him to keep going. He starts slowly, gripping the underside of my knee as he draws his hips back and prepares for the plunge.

I let out a happy moan as he dives back in. His fist tightens around my leg and his rhythm grows faster. I lift my hips and push against him, our bodies rocking together with hard, satisfying slaps. My fingertips squeeze into his forearms, the muscles straining out like cords of tightened rope.

"God, I love your cock," I whimper to him. "It feels so good inside of me."

Kalistratos drops over me so that my legs are pushed all the way back, nearly to my shoulders. He grabs the couch arm and slams down, driving his cock even deeper into my hole. Bam, bam, bam. I moan for him to fuck me harder, to fill me up with his come. The ridges of his dick ride deliciously against my prostate with every thrust. My body starts to shake. I'm losing control.

Bam, bam, bam.The couch grinds its way across the floor. I couldn't care less about the

hardwood.

I feel the rising crescendo of my finish coming closer and closer, and then it's on me, and I'm begging him not to stop. He goes harder, growling that he's going to come, and then I release myself. The waves of my climax pulse through me and erupt from my cock in thick, hot spurts that land across my chest and my neck. Kalistratos drives forward with a final roar, and I feel his warmth pouring into me from his tight, throbbing length.

I wrap my legs around his waist and lock myself to him. Still gripping the couch's arm, he lowers himself down to kiss me.

"How do you feel?" I ask.

"Like I've been reborn," he replies, grinning.