Author's Note: It's been a while since I've been able to update any of my stories. My computer fried itself a couple of months ago and I was offline for two weeks. Thankfully I got a new one just as my stories started speaking to me again and I plan to make up for lost time. This story is going to have some LONG chapters in it; there's a lot going on and I'm going to make the most of it. :D
Author's Note #2: This chapter will introduce Kaleb and Kolbi Bonheur, David and Tyson's younger twin brothers first mentioned in Elements. They're on a quest of sorts and they have no clue that they've almost reached the end of it. Quick word of warning: there may be some mild twincest in this one. So if you're easily offended, you might not want to read any further. Here we go. :)
Rated M for violence, strong language, adult themes, and M/M love scenes
Disclaimer: The Twilight books and characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing except my OC's.
Unstable Elements
Chapter 1: Hunger And Heavy Thoughts
The wind whipped Kolbi's waist-length ponytail, the mahogany cascade of hair practically glowing in the early-afternoon light. He brushed a few stray strands back behind his ear as he squatted near the edge of the cliff. The ground felt a little cold under the soles of his bare feet, but that was to be expected. It was autumn, after all.
After a few moments of admiring the view, he looked over his shoulder and said, "Quite a sight, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Kaleb replied. He moved up next to his twin and assumed a similar posture; a few pencil-thin braids slipped over his shoulder and flowed down his torso to coil on the ground. Kolbi wondered where his brother found the strength. Kaleb was hardly the patient type and styling his hair into several dozen braids would almost certainly have driven him mad if he didn't like the look so much.
Kolbi studied his brother for a few seconds. Kaleb looked a little peaked: pale skin, slightly bloodshot eyes, cheekbones a little sharper than usual. And he looked as if he'd lost a couple of pounds over the last week. He pressed the back of his hand to Kaleb's forehead; sure enough, he was running a slight fever. Ordinarily, it wouldn't have been cause for concern. But, considering that their everyday body temperature was a hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit, any detectable increase was something to worry about.
"You feeling all right, K?" he asked.
Kaleb nodded once, a short jerky motion. "I'm fine, Bee. It's nothing to worry about." The strained tone in his voice held a slight tremble and Kolbi knew that his brother wasn't being honest. They knew each other as well as they knew themselves; there were no secrets they could keep, nothing they could hide from each other. So Kaleb should've known better than to try and deceive him.
And Kolbi recognized the signs. "You're feeling it again, aren't you? The hunger?" he asked. It was phrased as a question, but it sounded more like a statement.
Kaleb ducked his head, several of his braids falling to obscure his face. He stared out at the ocean for a few seconds, then nodded. He looked down at the ground in front of his bare feet, hugging his knees and biting his lip. A couple of tears escaped and hit the ground, making tiny divots in the dirt. Kaleb tightened his arms around his knees, trying to stem the flow.
Kolbi knew this frame of mind all too well: a combination of pride and shame. Kaleb was ashamed that he was feeling it again so soon after the last time. It was a fact of their lives that they had to satisfy certain urges in order to curb the hunger. Kolbi felt it just as strongly as Kaleb did; it just so happened that he was better able to control the urges than his brother. It was nothing to be ashamed of, but Kaleb would beat himself up every time he failed to keep a tight leash on his hormones.
Kolbi reached out a hand to his brother. "Come here," he said. "You need to feed."
"Not right now," Kaleb said. "I can handle it." He hugged his knees even tighter, to the point where Kolbi could practically hear the joints creak in protest.
"You need it," Kolbi said. "Remember what happened the last time you waited too long?"
Kaleb looked up at him, a haunted expression on his face. They both remembered what had happened in Tulsa. That time, he'd lost control for a moment and wound up nearly killing someone when the hunger grew beyond his ability to contain it. Kolbi had barely been able to stop him and Kaleb had been skittish about feeding ever since. He would feed when he had to, but most of the time, he would delay for as long as he could for fear of hurting someone else. Unfortunately, such delays manifested in the physical symptoms he was currently displaying.
"We don't know if we're going to find any willing guys here," Kolbi said. "You can feed from me. We both know that you won't hurt me. It'll be all right." He reached over, got a grip on Kaleb's wrist, and pulled him into his arms. "It's gonna be all right," he said. He hadn't needed to say it again, but he felt that Kaleb needed to hear it anyway.
Kaleb wrapped his arms and legs around him and held on for dear life, pressing his face into Kolbi's shoulder. He shuddered as he inhaled the scent of his brother's skin; it was warm and musky, with a faint touch of cinnamon and something he couldn't identify. That scent never failed to calm him.
Kolbi held him close, nuzzling the warm skin of his neck and licking along the artery visibly pounding beneath it. Kaleb shivered and moaned; the sound traveled along Kolbi's nerves and down his spine to hit him right in the groin. Turning his head just a bit, he buried his face in Kaleb's hair, soaking up the warmth it had borrowed from the sun. The braids pressed into his skin; they scratched a little, but it didn't hurt. He found Kaleb's ear and ran his tongue along the edge of the shell.
Kaleb gasped at the contact and tightened his grip further. It was starting to hurt, but Kolbi didn't mind; Kaleb tended to be. . .enthusiastic during such moments. It was part of why he loved him so much.
Kaleb was panting now, his grey eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Please...," he whispered. "Sh-shirt...off. Need more...contact..."
Kolbi understood what he was asking. He wasted no time, loosening his grip just enough so that they could pull off their T-shirts and lay them aside. They both moaned when their bodies came together again, enjoying the slap of cold air against their hot skin. He rubbed Kaleb's back and kissed his cheek, savoring the taste of the sweat that had started to bead up.
Kaleb turned his head so that his lips brushed Kolbi's; he pressed down hard, whining like a starving dog as he ran his tongue along his twin's lips, silently begging for admittance. Kolbi opened his mouth and Kaleb sighed in relief as he slid his tongue inside.
They held each other for what seemed like forever, kissing and touching, stroking each other's arms and backs. Kaleb squeezed Kolbi's waist with his thighs, locking his ankles in the small of his brother's back. It was just to maintain his grip; he had no desire for sex right now, even though he could feel the hunger clamoring for it. As much as he enjoyed those times with Kolbi, this wasn't the time to indulge that urge. For now, the kiss, the embrace, and the slow caresses were enough.
He was suddenly and painfully hard. He rubbed his denim-clad arousal on Kolbi's abs; they groaned into each other's mouths at the contact, barely able to keep from stripping down and completing the circuit. The energy flowed between them, feeling as warm as sunlight and smelling of their parents' garden after a rainstorm. The taste was different every time; this time around, it was the flavor of almonds and cayenne. Kaleb fed slowly, taking only what he needed and no more.
After the kiss ended, they looked at each other. Kolbi smiled as he noted the visible improvement in Kaleb's skin; it had a healthier glow than before and his eyes were clear again. He chuckled and gave his brother a peck on the cheek. Kaleb blushed and giggled at the move; he returned it and wrapped his arms around Kolbi's neck.
Chalk up another successful feeding, Kolbi thought as he hugged Kaleb back. He wouldn't have done this for anyone else. His bond with Kaleb was deep, deeper even than the genetic link they shared. He loved Kaleb more than almost anyone else in the world and he'd do anything for him. Hell, he would've let Kaleb drain every last scrap of energy from his body if that was what it took to keep him alive.
When they finally drifted back to the real world, Kaleb pulled back, keeping his eyes on Kolbi's. "Thank you, cher," he said. He blushed as he felt a familiar tickle down below and he ducked his head to keep Kolbi from seeing the flash of desire in his eyes.
Kolbi knew what Kaleb was doing; he was trying to be subtle in controlling his hormones. He wanted sex but didn't want to seem too eager for it, especially so soon after feeding. Kolbi could understand that. If it helped Kaleb's peace of mind to think that he was keeping his desire hidden, so be it. Kolbi wouldn't strip that bit of comfort from him. That was neither here nor there; he'd just had a good idea.
"What do you say we head down to the beach and wash off some of the road grime?" he asked. He smiled and brushed Kaleb's nose with his own.
The grin on Kaleb's face spoke volumes. They stood, retrieved their shirts and backpacks, and headed down the sloping trail toward the ocean.
/ \
An hour later, they were lying on an oversized beach towel, snuggled up close to keep warm as a breeze blew over their nude bodies. They'd just finished their impromptu bath and were now enjoying some late-afternoon sunbathing. Kolbi was dozing as the sun shone down, recharging after the feeding. Kaleb had tried to do the same, but he was too wired; he got that way a lot right after a feeding, especially if Kolbi was the one he'd fed on. His mind was going in several directions at once; it barely touched on one random topic before veering off on some other tangent.
At the moment, he was tracing Kolbi's eye-of-Horus tattoo with one fingertip. It was on his chest right over his heart, with the eye pointing to his left. Kaleb had one in the same place, facing in the opposite direction. They'd gotten them a couple of days after they left home, trading a night of their company for the work. By the time they'd finished, the artist was a very happy man.
Kaleb pondered just how strange things could be sometimes. He and Kolbi looked identical, but their personalities were near-total opposites. If not for that and the different hairstyles, even the people who knew them best would have been hard-pressed to tell them apart. It was only through long experience that their parents and siblings had learned to see past the surface to the souls beneath. Once past the outer layers, it was easy to discern the things that made them so different.
Kaleb tended to be loud and hyper, his body vibrating a bit whenever he had to sit still too long. He was the quintessential wild child; his impatience had gotten him into trouble more times than anyone could count. He'd channeled his excess energy into various sports, winning trophies for baseball, basketball, wrestling, and swimming among others. And although he excelled academically, he had little patience for studying, preferring to do anything more active. He had nothing against his teachers; he just liked to be up and moving instead of sitting still for an hour at a time.
Kolbi was calmer and more studious, able to channel his impulsiveness into whatever project he was working on. He was just as physically capable as his twin and he did enjoy playing sports, but his talents lay more in the academic fields. His projects had won plenty of science competitions and while intriguing, some of them tended to be on the risky side. One time, he'd nearly blown up the garage while trying to build his own laser. After that, he did his best to weigh the risks and possible rewards of whatever project he started.
The current project was a joint endeavor: trying to track down their older brothers. David and Tyson had gone missing a year ago, yet their parents seemed unconcerned about it. If anything, Momma, Daddy, Uncle Ray, and Aunt Rena had gone on about their lives as if nothing had changed. Daddy and Aunt Rena were cops; they should've started the search when they got the first tingle that something was wrong. And yet, they hadn't.
When Kaleb asked why they weren't turning over every rock trying to find their firstborn sons, they said that Dav and Ty had decided to go on an impromptu road trip; the pair had just gotten in Tyson's car and driven off. This answer had set off all kinds of alarm bells in his head. The twins knew their big brothers' minds inside and out. Such a spontaneous action was so far outside Tyson's normal behavior as to be unthinkable; he was a lot like Kolbi in that he weighed all possibilities before taking action. And as impulsive as David could be, he would've at least called or left a note, sent an e-mail... something. Neither of them would've just taken off.
So why would their parents lie about such a thing? They knew damn well that Kaleb was a walking polygraph machine; he would've seen through any lie, no matter how carefully constructed. The weird thing was, it hadn't really felt like a lie. There'd been enough truth to what they were told that it was somewhat plausible, but it still didn't explain why their parents had felt the need to lie in the first place. They were such sticklers for honesty; it was entirely possible that they felt it was the only way to protect the rest of their children, the ends justifying the means and all that.
He was just starting to doze off when Kolbi spoke up. "What you thinking about, K?" he asked.
"Nothing much, Bee," Kaleb answered. "Just taking a walk down memory lane. Wondering why our parents didn't kick up more of a fuss about our big brothers' disappearance." His hand trailed down Kolbi's torso, coming to rest on his stomach just above his navel. Kolbi purred softly for a moment and hugged Kaleb a little tighter.
"We've been over it a hundred times, K, and we've never been able to come up with a theory that fits what we know." Kolbi pulled Kaleb up on top of him and wrapped his arms around his brother's waist. Kaleb shivered as their groins rubbed together and he stiffened just a bit. He was barely able to look Kolbi in the face, but he managed.
"Our parents had their reasons for not telling us the whole truth," Kolbi said. "They didn't want us to worry. And going by that note we found in Momma's glove compartment, Ty and Dav had a damn good reason for leaving."
Kaleb frowned. "All it said was that it would be dangerous for us if they stayed," he said. "It didn't say why. You know that Tyson would've given a reason; he always does." The frown deepened as he considered a different question. "And why didn't our parents try to stop us? They had to know we were going to try something."
"Because they knew that we were going no matter what," Kolbi said. "Think about it. Daddy and Aunt Rena are cops; Momma and Uncle Ray know how to disable almost every make and model of car. On top of that, Momma has a way of knowing things about something just by touching it. With all that going for them, do you really think we would've made it to the end of the block if they didn't want us going anywhere?"
Kaleb had to admit that that was a good point. With their combined skills, their parents could've stopped them very easily, which only made the lack of interference more disturbing to his way of thinking. "Maybe," he said. "But it still doesn't make any sense." He rolled onto his back and watched the clouds float into the deepening sunset.
Kolbi pushed up onto one arm and studied Kaleb's face for a moment. The expression was one of confusion and deep thought. There were a few small wrinkles between his eyebrows; Kolbi reached out one hand and tried to smooth the creases away with his thumb. Kaleb swatted at his hand, but Kolbi moved it out of range before there was any contact.
It was time for some mildly aggressive intervention. Kolbi rolled on top of Kaleb, spreading his twin's legs with his hips; they both shivered as their groins rubbed together. Kaleb wrapped his legs around Kolbi's waist and grabbed onto his shoulders, digging his nails into the darkly tanned skin.
Kolbi winced at the slight pain, taking a moment to suppress the hiss of discomfort. He looked into Kaleb's eyes and said, "That's enough serious talk for one day. How about we do something a little more. . .entertaining?" He gave Kaleb a little wink and a devilish smile.
Kaleb arched one eyebrow. "You sure you're not feeling the hunger a little more now?" he asked with a mirror of his brother's smile.
"Very sure," Kolbi said. He lowered his head til his lips were barely brushing Kaleb's and he whispered, "You need to shut off your brain for a little while. This just happens to be the fastest way to achieve that goal." He snaked his tongue out and slowly ran it across Kaleb's lips. They both moaned at the contact, their cocks starting to stiffen.
"Well, I can only thank you and my lucky stars that I'm not hungry right now," Kaleb said. He sighed and looked up at Kolbi. "You're right. I do need to relax for a little while. What do you suggest?" One corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile, indicating that he knew exactly what his brother was planning.
"How about I just show you what I'm suggesting?" Kolbi replied. He let gravity take over and his lips mashed against Kaleb's, drawing a loud moan from both of them. The kiss was warm and getting progressively hotter. But it wasn't destined to grow any deeper because they were interrupted at the worst possible moment.
"Hey, you two!" a loud male voice shouted. "Don't you know this isn't a nude beach? Where do you think you are, Brazil?"
Kolbi broke the kiss and shook his head. "So much for my bright idea," he said.
"Yeah," Kaleb said. "Some people have the worst timing."
They untangled themselves and stood up to face the new arrival, not caring that they were half-hard, and prepared to face the music.
Author's Note: Okay, that's not my best ending, and hopefully not my worst either. Anyway, that's the intro for Kaleb and Kolbi. In the next chapter, they'll meet the packs and discuss their reasons for being in the Forks area. Please read and review. Thank you! :)
