Where Foxes Hunt with Wolves (Folk Lore 2)

Radek stepped closer, his feet likely just as numb from the snow as Yev’s. “Because your rules are stupid.”

Burian’s nostrils flared, and Olek had to stop him from stepping toward Radek. “You don’t understand a thing, you fucking vixen! Your kind doesn’t honor family nor loyalty. We bond for life, and if we were all like that deviant fuck, we’d be sucking each other’s dicks until we died out!”

Radek sniggered. “Are you saying you’d be sucking dick if it wasn’t for rules?”

Yev didn’t have the patience for this. “It doesn’t matter who you wanna fuck, Burian. Just get off my cas—”

Burian spat into Yev’s face, and Olek stepping between them was the one thing that kept Yev from tearing the bastard’s throat for real.

Burian smirked, showing his bloodstained teeth. “Sure, let that thing pour lies into your ear, but you know yourself the pack comes first. If you don’t want to live like a werewolf, you’re out. For good this time.”

Olek bit his lip, his round face tense, but he didn’t try to defend Yev. While he had way more heart, his thoughts were clearly the same.

When Burian shifted into his wolf form, Olek followed his example, and they were off. Seeing Burian limp into the bushes didn’t give Yev as much satisfaction as he’d hoped.

Yev squeezed his hands into fists and spun around, gathering his torn clothes, not yet ready to look Radek’s way. If he could, he’d disappear into the woods and avoid talking to anyone for hours, suffering the pain of the thorn stuck deep in his heart

“You’re hurt,” Radek said, as if he didn’t bleed himself moments ago. Just thinking about the way he shivered, wordlessly begging for protection made Yev want to fight Burian all over again. Pale under all the freckles, Radek was still breathing unnaturally fast, and the anger Yev had felt moments ago dispersed.

“Me?” he asked and tossed the clothes on the bench before scooping Radek into his arms, because both of them needed to get warm fast.

“Yes, he scratched you all over.” Radek clung to him with all of his freezing limbs, and Yev carried him inside. “They spotted me in the woods and I didn’t know what else to do but run here.”

Yev kicked the door shut behind them and placed Radek onto the sofa, stretching out on top of him and hurriedly covering them with blankets when he realized his teeth were starting to clatter. “Good. I knew you shouldn’t be walking around on your own!” Yev said, looking down on the beautiful face framed by red locks. He was suddenly struck by the sense that he wouldn’t mind seeing that same face every single morning, and his throat tightened with the regret of knowing it wouldn’t happen.

“He wanted to kill me, Yev. That’s insane.” Radek’s arms tightened around him, and the sound of his steadily beating heart had a calming effect on Yev and prompted him to exhale in relief.

He made sure they were covered and raised himself on one elbow, his gaze finding Radek’s golden eyes. “But now you’re safe. I wouldn’t let him hurt you.”

Radek rubbed his face, his hands still blue from the cold, and Yev fought the immediate instinct to kiss them until they were warm. “It felt like the snares all over again."

Yev huffed, frantic at the vision of massive Burian on top of Radek, with teeth deep in his flesh. "You need to get a silver knife and always carry it with you." He despised having to say this. His whole being snarled and bristled at the idea of silver anywhere near him, but the boy's safety was far more important than Yev's irrational fear. Fire could hurt him too, yet he used it every day. It wasn’t like Radek would use the weapon against him.

Radek nodded. "Why do they hate me so much? You kinda told me you were banished, but you didn’t say you have a psycho brother.”

Yev exhaled and placed his cheek on the pillow of Radek’s hair, just above the pale shoulder. The familiar scent of his lover was enough to make him calmer. “He’s not a psycho. He just blindly follows rules. And our rules… well, people like me shouldn’t exist within our community, because they upset the order of things. I either stop seeing men or I’m out permanently.”

Radek nuzzled his ear. “Um… You know you can’t go back they can’t accept you.”

Yev stiffened, and a hole opened inside him so fast he lost his breath. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Okay, but, it’s not gonna work if your family literally wants to kill me. I’m… that was fucking scary.” Radek’s hug tightened. “Just think about it. You could move to Cracow with me, and—”

“No,” Yev said, maybe a bit too harshly, and rolled his face into the smooth, fragrant hair while their bodies slowly gained warmth. “Don’t you understand? I need my pack.”