Jericho groaned and slowly began to move, but each muscle screamed for him to stop. Despite the pain, he managed to sit up and look around him. He was in his greenhouse, his cloak had covered him like a improvised blanket and his daggers were set on the table beside him. The night sky was seen through the roof. Small red and green Christmas lights strung along the edges of the roof kept the area lit when night came.

Getting up from his hammock Jericho limped his way towards a small note left beside his cactus apples. Lifting it up he read.

“Dear JJ, this is Angie. Zoran, Diana and I are trying to track the wendigos with a spell from the book. We need you to stay there and rest. We were all surprised that you made it home alive, don’t take that the wrong way though, but he did some serious damage to you. Stay there and rest. We’ll be back soon and tell you everything.”

Jericho didn’t need any convincing to stay behind, he tossed the note aside and picked up the small cactus bearing the fruit. “I really screwed up this time.” Holding it close, he began to vent, “I should have stayed with Marcus… He wouldn’t have been taken…” Gripping the pot harder he admitted, “I’m so sorry Marcus. I’m so so sorry.” Holding the plant close to him, Jericho waited for them to return with Marcus so he could tell him in person. Tell him he would take a break from this. They could binge watch giant monster movies or get out of the city to take a hike. He made a list of all the things Marcus wanted to do with him lately but never had the time for because of his countless hunts. He knew he was hoping for the best when they returned, but he couldn’t think of the worst case scenario. He wouldn’t let himself think like that.

Dawn broke by the time they arrived, all three of them slumped on the floor, exhausted from a long nights search. It was obvious they couldn’t find a trace of Marcus or the wendigo, and Jericho didn’t want to hear any bad news and it was clear they didn’t want to share it.

“What is Marcus’ deal anyway?” Zoran spoke up. “What is his affiliation with the Keepers and why did the wendigo take him? The way you made it sound, it was like he knew who he was.”

Diana rubbed her eyes and started to explain. “As far as I know Marcus is a collector of magical items. Weapons, books, runes, you name it, he probably has it. Every so often he supplies the Keepers with information on a new dangerous artifact that he happened to stumble upon or that he found on the black market.. No one knows who he really is. I doubt anyone even knows that he works with the Keepers.”

“Ok, but what if his past? Has he made any enemies? I mean he is cursed for crying out loud.”

“Wait.” Jericho interjected, “He’s cursed?”

Angela nodded solemnly, “With a bad one too, took away his magic, I mean, why else would he use summoning chalk.”

Jericho always figured that it was his magic powering the circle, not the chalk. He must’ve had his reasons for not telling him. “Who would do that to him? He’s harmless.”

“Maybe you don’t know your friend as well as you thought. I mean, do you even know what he is?” Zoran spoke up. “I’m a Kitsune, Diana and Angela are druid monks trained to be battle mages and your human. But what is Marcus?” Jericho stayed silent as he listened to Zoran continue, “He’s hiding something Jericho. I don’t know what but he is.”

“What are you accusing him of Fox?” Jericho snapped. “Choose your next words wisely.”

“You don’t scare me hum-“ Zoran didn’t finish the sentence as he Diana slapped the back of his head.

“Will you stop trying to pit him against Marcus? Honestly, I get where you are coming from but handle it better.” She snapped at him.

Zoran rubbed the back of his head as Angela started, “It pains me to say this but not know about Marcus’s past and his alliances puts us at a disadvantage here. Is there someone who actually might know something Marcus Jericho? Knowing why they took him could help us with finding out their endgame,”

Jericho sulked as he only knew one person who knew Marcus better than himself. “Only one.”

~~~~~~~~

After a couple of hours of rest Jericho started to explain, “His name is Caspian Bakersvile, he is the alpha of a werewolf pack in the city, he and his pack work for Marcus at his restaurant bar Nightshade.”

“Why not turn them in and videotape them on a full moon?” Zoran asked.

“I’m not an asshole.” Jericho answered. “I’m not gonna ruin their lives.”

“Bakersvile… wouldn’t have to be a pure blood werewolf would he?” Angie spoke up.

“Umm, yea, why?”

Diana winced as Zoran snorted, “The Bakersviles are a cursed family line. They’re known by hell hounds, they are more dangerous and powerful than your average werewolf. Not only that but most of their family is under our custody. They don’t have the best relationship with Keepers because of it. He may not help us because of it.”

“… Why were they cursed?”

“The family coordinated multiple murders around the 1900s, using demonic magic to improve their abilities. When the family was finally caught they had already murdered countless people. They were cursed by the Keepers because of it.” Diana spoke up. “The curse was that their wolf forms resembled their families bloody history. Their forms are now demonic, bloodthirsty, but also brings them immense amounts of pain.”

“Isn’t that torture? They can’t help when they turn.”

“Purebloods can control when they transform. One of the perks of being an untainted bloodline.” Zoran pitched in. “Even if it was, the curse only starts once you take one's life. So those applied had it coming.”

Jericho took a deep breath, letting the information sink in, all knowledge was power after all. “Ok, so what if his family has a sketchy past-“

“February 14, 1987, Caspian Bakersvile,” Zoran spoke up, he was reading of a paper that seemed to instantly appear. “murdered Rayna Averie age 19, human. Curse took affect the following day.” Zoran gave him a questionable look and dropped the parchment, letting it be engulf in flames and disappear.

“He may not know…”

“The Bakersvile name is well known for what they’ve done.” Angela squeaked.

“I DONT CARE!” Jericho shouted, “He is the only who can help us right now.”

A brief moment of silence as Jericho huffed. Diana only sighed and rubbed her temples. It wasn’t difficult telling what she thought. “How can you be sure he’ll help…”

Jericho sighed and slumped on the ground, “He loves Marcus, that’s why. He’ll do anything for him.”

~~~~~~~~

Jericho waited outside a clothing store with Zoran. It was decided to get Caspian’s help, but the Keepers needed to change their attire. Caspian was the only one he wanted to know they were here, he didn’t want the rest of his pack feeling antsy when they arrived to borrow their alpha.

“Why are we doing this again?” He picked at his shirt, as if it was starting to stick to his skin, which wasn’t true. Zoran wore one of his shirts and jeans. Jericho was leaner than the fox and had more defined muscles. The shirt was pretty baggy in comparison to Zoran. He would be lying if the he said the thought didn’t make him feel slightly happy. He was gonna take any victory he could get against the other.

“Marcus and I don’t have any clothes that fitted Diana. So Angela is helping her pick something out. I gave them my card so everything will be alright.”

Another moment of silence as we time passed. They watched as people went in and out, chatting with friends, hanging out on their weekend or day off of work. He forgot what that was like, being out with friends. Ever since the hunts, he never felt right with everyone else, that was part of the reason he moved to America, his own home treated him like an outsider for what he said and believed. When he moved in town the people treated him better but he wanted more. He felt fine with Marcus, but that was it, he was tired of putting up a facade of something he wasn’t. He wasn’t normal, he fought and saw monsters. He tried to explain, to prove to someone there are such things as vampires and werewolves but no one believed him. He was desperate to show people, but now… he just wanted Marcus back alive.

“What’s your relationship with Marcus anyway? Is he your boyfriend?”

Jericho’s face burned and stared at Zoran, “What! No! We’re just friends. Why ask something like that.”

The fox shrugged, his ears were covered by a beanie but you could still see the movement through it. “The way you brought up Caspian’s name. You almost sounded bitter or disappointed. Not to mention that you’re pretty physical with him. Do you like him at least?”

“Are Kitsunes nosey shits or is it just you?”

“As a species, we like to stir the pot or cause drama, we can’t really help it sometimes. But other times we just enjoy people getting riled up. It’s part of our nature I guess.”

Was this his way of apologizing for being pushing him to mistrust Marcus? If so, leaving it to nature is a shitty way in doing so, but he wasn’t the type to hold a grudge.

“… I get it… and I, might, have a crush on the guy, but I’m not going act on it. I don’t want to ruin the good thing we have now.”

“Does he know?”

“Haven’t told him, but I can be pretty obvious sometimes. I think he knows but just wants me to say something to give an answer.”

Zoran nodded and watched as their friends made their way towards them. Angela wore one of Marcus’ shirts, it bore a tiny cartoon dinosaur eating a hamburger, Jericho couldn’t help but smile as it was one of Marcus’s favorites, and finished the look with old jeans and hiking boots.

Diana on the other hand, dressed in ripped jeans and a black leather jacket covering a pink shirt with a bejeweled poodle. She looked excited enough considering she’s about to meet a Bakersvile hellhound. “Are you ready team?”

“Aye aye captain.” Jericho nodded and leaned forward off the wall he was leaning against, “You guys look the part, good. Now we just have to meet up with Caspian and hope he doesn’t feed us to the wolves.”