Star got excited when Anubis asked and couldn’t wait to tell him everything. “It went very well. Both Chase and Tanner agreed to be my business partners. We’re meeting again in a couple of weeks to work out the finer details.”
Anubis smiled. “Well done, baby boy.” He kissed Star once more, this time longer and deeper, tweaking his nipple. Star wrapped his arms around Anubis’s neck, about to take their kiss further, but the other man pulled back. “I knew they would agree to join you.”
“How?”
“Because it’s a sound business. A drama school in Valleywood is needed. Have I told you how proud I am of you?”
Star shook his head.
“Well, I am. And I’ve got your back.”
Star gazed into Anubis’s eyes, feeling the truth of his words. He didn’t know if it was because he was falling in love with Anubis far too quickly, or the magic of mating, but he could always tell when Anubis was being honest with him. It was refreshing and scary at the same time, yet Star realized he liked that aspect of being with Anubis. He never knew what he would feel or experience while they were together. It was not as if the man was an open book and easy to read, but he always felt as secure in the other's words as he did his arms.
“Thank you,” he said, and he brought Anubis’s face down for a kiss that lasted much longer than the first. After Anubis removed the cock cage, he made love to him in the back of the SUV while the car drove for hours around Valleywood.
* * *
“Don't work too late,”Star told Anubis on the other end of the phone.
“I won't. I just need to run through some edits. But I'm proud of you, baby,” Anubis said once more. It was a few weeks later, and he’d just signed the official partnership paperwork with Chase and Tanner. Star felt like he'd won a million bucks. “I believe in your idea. And you know I will help you with anything you need.”
“I know, and thank you.”
“Are you sure you don't want me to join you on your walk?” Anubis asked.
“No, I just need a few minutes to take it all in.” Star left the restaurant and headed in the direction of the bridge.
“All right, have fun.”
“See you in a bit,” Star said, then hung up the phone, pocketing it. He’d had a good day and wanted to bask in it alone for a few minutes. Just as he was about to start walking, he bumped into someone and was about to apologize when he was hit in the chest, sending him into a wall and knocking him on the back of the head hard.
“Watch where the fuck you're going,” the voice above him growled.
Star looked up at the man whose face was distorted in anger. He was about to apologize; however, he changed his mind. Why should he say he was sorry when not many people were walking around? He could blame it on the low streetlights, but still, he didn’t understand how the guy had bumped into him. Star stood and pushed the man in the chest.
“What the fuck is your problem, asshole?” Star didn't wait for the man to respond, and something inside him snapped or overtook him. Before he could stop himself, he punched the man in his face and didn't stop until he felt satisfied. He felt as if he was having an out-of-body experience, watching his body attack the man with more anger than needed. Star had never been a fighter, but watching his body move, he looked like he had been in many throughout his life.
As suddenly as it started, it stopped, and Star felt as if he was jolted back into his body, and everything went dark as he heard the words.
“The time has come.”
* * *
Star gasped,sitting up in bed with one hand extended, as if he was grasping for something. His heart beat madly in his chest, and he had a terrible headache and felt sick. Hurriedly getting out of bed, Star ran to the bathroom and emptied his already-empty stomach into the toilet. Once he was sure he wouldn’t throw up any more, he stumbled over to the shower and got in, cleansing his sweaty skin. He leaned against the cold tile, feeling weak in mind and body.
Star couldn’t explain it, but he felt weird. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he didn’t know why. Bringing his hands to his face, Star paused when he noticed they were scratched up, as if he had been in a fight, when the last thing he remembered was heading toward the bridge after meeting with Chase and Tanner.
So why are my hands bruised up?
“You waste the fucking power you have.”
Star hissed, grabbing his head when he heard a voice snarling loudly in the shower. He looked around, but there was no one there.
Maybe it’s a prank.If Anubis was playing a trick on him, this was fucking mean as hell, and he would certainly let the man know how he felt about it.
“Prank my ass. You fucking idiot, do you know how long I searched for you? And now that I've found you, I will not let you go. You took a life that did not belong to you.”
“I don't know what you're fucking talking about. Who the hell are you?” Star said with a shaky breath, wondering if he was going crazy for talking to himself.
