A Kink in the Tail

Chapter 6 - Fight or Flight

"You're brother is coming to take you back home." Adam heard the words but they made no sense. He might as well have been talking gibberish. He looked at Constantine, whose expression wasn't what he expected. It should have been surprised or even pleased that he wouldn't have to babysit him anymore, instead, he looked scared.

"Thanos? That can't be right. Nothing has changed. Why would they want me back?" They stared at each other as if any minute the world would right itself. "It's not as if this has disappeared..." Adam pointed at his discolored face. "Or I've grown a new tail. THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT!"

He snarled so loudly the werewolf took an abrupt step back. His mind refused to believe it, didn't want to believe. Adam never imagined, even once, that his family would want him back. As much as he may have complained that his present life had limitations and that he had a ball and chain around his ankle in the shape of his bound werewolf, he was relatively content.

"A new King will take the throne in less than a month. He's decided to revive the Ascension Ceremony. You know what that means."Constantine was rubbing his face, trying to focus. When he was first told the news that the old King would be stepping down to allow his heir to take the throne he didn't think it would come to this.

"What?" Adam was furious. "Why is this the first I've heard of it?" Adam slammed his hand down hard on the coffee table and stood up on shaky legs.

Constantine started restlessly roaming the room. "Are you that naïve? What I tell you is on a need-to-know basis." He hadn't had time to think the situation through properly but alarm bells were going off. Adam may not be aware of what his family was capable of but Constantine, as a bound wolf to the family, knew what went on in the background to maintain the family's wealth and good name. He went through different scenarios trying to work out what they were planning, but none of them ended well. "...and the same applies to what they tell me."

He wasn't particularly fond of his charge, he thought Adam was a self-absorbed fool but he was harmless., unlike the rest of his family. "Don't look at me as if I've been plotting behind your back. You made a point of never wanting the Homeland mentioned, not even in passing. Have you EVER asked about your family? No...not once in three years."

"Woah!!! What the hell are you two talking about?" Adam and Constantine both turned and looked at Shaun, who was still sitting on the couch clutching his coffee cup, looking beyond confused. They had both forgotten he was there.

"Are you leaving? Have I just fallen into an alternate universe? Kings, queens...LEAVING!!! WHAT THE FUCK?"

Constantine pulled Shaun up and started dragging him to the door. "Out now." He wriggled out of his grip and ran back to Adam and stood behind him.

"I"m not going anywhere. What kind of family drags people off...who does that?" Adam could see Shaun's brain, which was fed on a constant diet of Housewives of Where ever and KDramas, ticking over. He was scanning the room, running his eyes over Constantine and slowly coming to some sort of epic conclusion. "You escaped from a cult? Or a crazy rich...cosa nostra family? OMG.... are you in witness protection?" Adam shook his head, only Shaun could turn this into a soap opera. At this point, he stands out from behind Adam and scowls at Constantine whose huge hand is reaching for him.

"That was a leap even for you Shaun. I'm not Italian. I am Greek, for one thing, you idiot. But you are right about them being crazy and rich. Now quieten down and let me think." The pain in his back and legs was making him feel weak again and he sat back down. He tucked his hands deeper into his pockets,  the wounds had started stinging after he slapped them down on the table.