The Final Hunt

Chapter Eight - Kyle

Kyle had carried her to the car, and let her sleep whilst they drove home, pulling her out gently to get her inside. Annie had given them her number and asked that they phone whenever they find some new information.

He was going to like Annie, she would be good for Maggie; Maggie had never really had any friends, she'd never felt comfortable enough with people. But Annie knew about everything; she knew what they were and wanted to be around Maggie and himself.

Kyle thought it would probably make her feel closer to her mate; to be around another Seer and their mate.

Maggie was amazing; she was so powerful it was incredible to see, to know. It was scary as well; knowing that she's the only one, likely, with no-one to turn to about her powers, to share their experiences and knowledge.

As he pulled her out of the car after pulling up on the drive, he kicked the door closed behind him and headed to the steps, cradling her close to his chest; he felt someone behind him and stiffened briefly, before realising who it was.

"What happened Johnson?" Paul's familiar voice called from behind, laced with concern as he saw Maggie flopped into Kyle's arms.

"Paul, man open the door for me, I need to get her in." Kyle stepped forward and shoved his right side in front, signalling with his head for Paul to reach into his jeans pocket to get the keys.

As he did, Kyle could feel anxiety pulsating around his friend, he'd no idea Paul had become so fond of his mate.

"She's OK Paul, she fainted but she's OK." He said matter of fact, Paul blew out a sigh and pushed the door open for Kyle to carry her in.

He placed her gently on the couch and turned to Paul, "I thought you were busy today?" He eyed him, sceptical; Paul shrugged it off.

"I rearranged my plans, sorry I was a bit off earlier. A lot to take in isn't it." He blew out a laugh and Kyle joined him.

"You can say that again mate; we've had a bit of a breakthrough though." Kyle said hopefully, Paul looked up at him and nodded for him to continue.

"Maggie isn't just a Seer," he started and then proceeded to explain about High Seer's and Maggie's affinities.  Kyle watched for a change in expression, Paul's eyes widened and then he was confused.

"She can bend the elements? Like, what?" He chuckled at Kyle; it was so strange to think of how to explain to his human best friend how his magic girlfriend can utilise the elements to her will, without making him sound crazy. They shrugged at each other in disbelief.

"It's crazy, honestly I have no idea what to make of it all. Imagine this time last year if you'd have told me all this...? I'd..." Kyle blew out an exasperated breath and walked into the kitchen, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do you regret any of it?" Paul asked; Kyle noted something in his voice. Hope maybe?

"Honestly? There are definitely parts we could, I could do without." He shrugged and grabbed a beer from the fridge, handing one to his friend and sitting at the counter.

He stared at the floor where he'd picked Maggie up, saving her from her wretched parents' abuse; back when the fear he'd felt in that human situation was the most confusing thing they'd felt. Now he had so much more to worry about, to wonder about. Maggie; her future, their future. If they had one. He wasn't sure if Maggie wanted to stay, to be with him.

Kyle knew he loved Maggie, more than anything.  But he was only 18, could he see himself loving her as she outgrew him? As her talents and gifts forced her to outgrow what he had to offer?

He could give them both a good life; they had future plans to start in just over a month at college. Maggie wasn't ready for that

"What is it?" Paul took a slug on his beer bottle and sat opposite him, eyeing the bottle so specifically Kyle knew he was avoiding his gaze.

"I just, I don't know if it's what we both need. Like right now I mean." Kyle hated himself for saying it because he really did, does, love and adore Maggie. "Maggie makes me feel whole, I physically hurt when we're not together. But I'm 18, we're 18. We need to live and be able to grow." He shook his head between his hands as he lifted his elbows to the table. "I haven't slept properly in weeks, worried she'll hurt herself with her powers. And even now, we know what it is and I'm so amazed and proud of her; she is the most gorgeous, loving and caring soul. The Goddess has blessed her. But, it all has just piled on top of me today and, I just don't know if I'm good for her Paul." He was completely defeated. Where had all this come from?!

"It sounds like a lot for anyone bud, give yourself a break. You have taken on so much. When was the last time you stopped to be you? Like just you? I love Maggie, she's great for you. But you still need guy time." He got up and punched Kyle's shoulder playfully and then grabbed a pen and paper and began scribbling a note, reading aloud as he wrote.

"'Hi Mags, it's Paul. I've stolen Kyle for a while. Rest up. See you soon, I'll have him back before you know it.' There, done. Now let's go out for a bit; she probably won't even wake!" Kyle needed no more persuading than that. They both downed the rest of their drinks and headed for the door, Kyle added an 'I love you xox' to the end of the note and signed his name before leaving.

***

They'd left the car and opted to walk; Kyle knew that meant Paul was planning on drinking. He realised he'd not gone out and drunk with Paul since the night he'd met Maggie, almost a year ago.

Much as he felt uncomfortable to be away from her; his head had started to lightly spin and a migraine was starting to form right behind his left eye, he'd needed to get out and take in the 'real' world. Everything was moving so fast with his life with Maggie that he'd not had time to stop and process it all.

They found their way to the old favourite hangout and Paul had texted some of their friends to join them, that wasn't a good sign; it could get messy.

After the third drink, Kyle felt a small buzz in his head, tingling over his skin and less with it than he tries to keep himself around Maggie.

“Paul!” he yelled over the crowd; there were eight of them altogether, including Kyle and Paul, all from school and having been on holiday so they had loads to catch up on. Paul stood up and made Connor move so he could sit with Kyle, he looked at him and nodded for him to proceed.

“I love her, Paul, I love Maggie.” They all laughed and shouted a group ‘yeah we know man!’ back at him and he shook his head; “I love her, but I miss this. I’ve been so focussed on me and her that I’d left this part of my life behind. I feel like I’m married and tied to a full time job with no chance to go out and have fun because I’m constantly worried.” Paul nodded and mumbled under his breath something incoherent that sounded like he was telling Kyle that he’d become well and truly whipped by his girl.

Kyle swatted Paul on the arm and laughed along with his friends. It wasn’t until a group of girls that they’d called over sat down that Paul really started to get lively; Paul had never had a steady girlfriend so Kyle knew that he didn’t really get what he was going through.

As he swigged another glug of beer and took another shot, thank Goddess for fake ID’s ey! A short, blonde haired girl came and squished in between him and Paul; Paul was too busy draping one of her friends over his lap to notice but Kyle looked right up  at her; her blue eyes were dark and seductive. She was wearing a red halter neck top and a mini skirt that may as well be a belt; her thighs completely exposed and showing the bottom of her ass as she pushed it between them.

“Hi, I’m Sydney,” she purred at him, he could feel his s*x throb as she traced her fingers up his thigh; hey he was only human, he said hi and pushed her hand off gently.

“So, you have a girlfriend then?” she laughed at him as he shoved himself a few inches further against the wall next to him, he nodded and she looked around, “she obviously isn’t that into you. If you were my man I’d never let you leave the bedroom.” She was whispering into his ear and stroking up his inner thigh and towards his s*x, he gulped and reached around her to grab his beer.

He could feel something inside of him, something that told him something with Maggie was wrong; as he sat back with beer in hand, attempting to reach his phone from his front pocket, Sydney crashed her lips against him and straddled him there in front of all of his friends. He kissed her back for only a moment, and then pushed her off, plonking her back down on the seat next to him before he got up and stormed outside for air.

Shoving the door open, he felt an ache coming from deep within, not his heart, it was like the light inside him had dimmed and become clouded; he couldn’t feel anything for a moment.

He was numb.

As he tried to breathe deep and hard for a few minutes his eyes came back into focus, the ache didn’t diffuse, it increased and he felt like he was suffocating from the inside out; something was definitely wrong with Maggie.

He stood himself straight upright and stole a quick look back through the window; Sydney was already straddling one of his friends and forcing his lips open with her tongue. ‘Classy lady, good job it wasn’t me.’ He thought as he spun around, suddenly fully sober as his eyes came into contact with a blue Bug that was speeding away from the bar.

Shit, Maggie.

His heart and soul ached for her and his suffocation feeling dwindled to nothing. He couldn’t feel her at all; there was no pull there. His head spun again and he nearly knocked himself over stumbling after the car that was already too far gone.

‘Paul, I’m going. Maggie needs me and I need to sort this s**t out. See you soon.’ He snapped a quick text to Paul and hailed a cab as quick as he could, pleading with the Goddess that Maggie would be there when he got home.