Star Child by kayladie (Part 2 of 3)

[teot]

Title: Star Child (Part 2 of 3)
Rating: R (for sex/violence)
Word Count: 24,097
Cover: Cover #2

Summary: Alex Luthor's father is enraged by the latest scandal his son has found himself in, so he banishes him to the wilds of Kansas. On the way, Alex's party is attacked by rogue Indians, who are fiercely protecting the land that they believe the Luthors are trying to steal from them. Among the savages is the most intriguing man he's ever met, and the stranger is just as entranced with Alex as Alex is with him. Together, the two of them will face both challenges and betrayals, and perhaps find the most important thing of all...love.



PART ONE

The sky was falling. Not only falling, but hurtling down in great fiery chunks that screamed as they hit the ground. The noise was so loud that it hurt his ears, and he could smell the smoke and taste the ashes on his tongue.

He couldn’t find Mama. She had just been there, a moment ago, he was certain of it. Then he’d turned around and the sky was weeping and she was gone and he couldn’t find her. Alexander was trying so hard to be a big boy and be brave and not cry, but it was hard.

The fire was falling all around him and he was running, running as fast as he could to get away from it. Mama was just beyond that hill, he knew she was, and if he could just get to her, he would be okay.

He was going to make it, he was! It was so close. He started to smile, but then something hit so hard behind him that it sounded like a deafening roar, and he was flying helplessly through the air, the ground coming up to meet him as he landed hard face first in the dirt. Black smoke engulfed him, burning the back of his head.

Alexander jerked awake, surprised that he’d somehow fallen asleep in the middle of a field. Rolling over to his back, he looked up at clear blue sky, amazed that it was still up there. His whole body ached and though he tried to get up, he found that he hadn’t the strength to do so. Now the tears began to roll down his cheeks, as he shivered with fear and frustration.

A sound from nearby caught his attention and he turned his head to the side to see a small boy, no more than three or four years old, with dark, messy hair and vibrant green eyes grinning at him. The child was naked, but seemed unaware of it as he bent down beside Alexander, tilting his head as he gazed down at him curiously.

“Who are you?” Alexander whispered. “Where are your parents?”

The little boy opened his mouth and chattered at him in some strange language that Alexander had never heard before. He knew of Spanish and French and Italian from his father, and this sounded like none of those. The child leaned over, running his hand down the side of Alexander’s face in a sweet caress, and somehow, it calmed Alexander a little.

“Mishidhal,” the boy said, and Alexander frowned, because he made that sound so important.

“Alexander!” The faint, frantic calling of his name had him turning his head towards the sound. It was repeated once more before he thought to respond to it.

“Mama! Mama, I’m here!” he called, so relieved that he felt like his bones had turned to liquid. “That’s my mama-” he started to say as he turned to look back at the little boy, but to Alexander’s surprise, the child was nowhere to be seen. “Hey, where did you go? Boy? Little boy? Where are you?!”

Suddenly his mother was there, falling to her knees and grabbing him up in a tight embrace. “Alex! Oh, Alexander, here you are! I was so frightened when I couldn’t find you.”

Alexander closed his eyes and let himself relax into her arms. Mama would take care of him now, and maybe she’d be able to find the little boy, because Alexander just knew that he was important somehow, and he was worried about the child. His mother finally pulled back to look at him and he frowned in confusion when she gave a distressed little cry and stroked his head with the palm of her hand.

“Oh, my poor darling,” she murmured.

How strange that he could feel the cool of her hand so sharply against his scalp, but he was still more concerned about the boy.

“Mama, did you see where the boy went?”

“What boy?” she asked, still caressing his head and face.

“There was a little boy. He had dark hair and green eyes. He was right here just a moment ago. I think we need to look for him because I don’t think he could find his mother and father either.”

“Oh, Alexander, I think perhaps you were dreaming. There was no little boy here when I found you.”

~*~*~

Alex jerked awake from the dream…no, memory. He’d often had nightmares of the day he lost his hair, but he hadn’t thought of that little boy in years. Eventually, he had come to believe his mother, that he must have been dreaming and imagined the child. How odd that the Adonis should use the same word the boy had all those years ago. At least, he thought it was the same word. Perhaps the Indians had hit him in the head a few too many times before he’d passed out.

Lifting his head, he tried get a bearing on where he was and just how much trouble he was in. Truthfully, he was slightly astonished that he was waking up at all, having expected to be killed at any moment. He was lying on his side and there was only dirt beneath him, but looking up he saw a ceiling made of fabric coming to a point. There was a pole in the middle of the small space that held the fabric up.

Glancing around and finding he was alone, Alex started to sit up and was surprised to find that his hands were tied together in front of him. The bonds were not so tight as to be uncomfortable, but they held firm when he tested them. The other end of the leather strip was tied tightly to the pole, and no matter how Alex tugged at it, it wouldn’t come free. He even tried to gnaw at the wrapping around his wrists with his teeth, but had no luck.

Frustratingly, the tether didn’t have enough give to allow him to reach what he assumed was the door to this dwelling, a loose flap on the opposite side from where he’d awakened. He wondered if someone would be coming soon, because he was starting to get hungry and he also really needed to empty his bladder.

With nothing else to do, Alex lay back down, contemplating just what kind of torture they were planning for him, which wasn’t healthy, he knew, but he couldn’t seem to help it. He had almost started to drift off to sleep again, lying on his side facing the entrance, when the flap suddenly flew open and the Adonis stepped in.

Alex struggled to a sitting position again, hating that he couldn’t stand up to face the man who must be in charge of whatever was to become of him. It reminded Alex far too much of the many times he’d faced Lionel at such a disadvantage. The Adonis seemed even bigger now than he had earlier. His face held no expression for a moment as he studied his captive and then he stepped closer.

Wincing, Alex tried to back away, but there was literally no place for him to go. He wasn’t sure what he expected, slaps, punches, a kick, but all Adonis did was squat in front of him and take Alex’s face in his hands. He rubbed his thumbs gently over Alex’s brows, before sweeping them across his cheeks, then one hand glided over the smoothness of his bald head and curved around to cup the nape of his neck.

Alex could barely breathe, feeling spellbound by the intense scrutiny. He might have even been a bit turned on by it, until the inspection continued to the rest of his body. He yelped in shock as his shirt was abruptly ripped in two, the tatters being tossed aside carelessly, and then those giant hands were sliding over his chest and stomach.

He tried to pull away, but the Adonis simply switched one hand to holding him firmly by the arm, and continued to use the other to explore every inch of Alex’s skin. Still, he wasn’t finding it quite so bad, but he hoped that above the waist was as far as the Adonis was going to go.

Unfortunately, that was a vain hope, as seconds later, his bedraggled britches and undergarments followed the path of his shirt and Alex was completely naked. The accident had affected more than the hair on his head. While his scalp was utterly bald, he did have hair on his body, but it was soft and fine as a woman’s, something which his father had never failed to taunt him about. His lovers had never seemed to mind it though, and so he’d always mentally thumbed his nose at Lionel’s insults.

He wasn’t ashamed of his body, but he generally tried to prepare beforehand people who were going to see him naked of his condition, as he had run across a few narrow-minded Lionel clones who were repulsed. They were few and far between, though, and Alex had always enjoyed a very healthy sex life. He did like to be asked first and the Adonis’ liberties were beginning to annoy him.

Alex’s limit was reached when a warm hand curled around his half-hard cock and stroked gently but firmly. Enough was enough! He slapped at the hand with his bound ones and glared at his captor.

“I usually prefer to be asked before someone touches my cock,” he snarled.

Instead of a slap or a cuff to the head, he got a chuckle and a big grin. Adonis reached over and grabbed onto Alex’s tether near the pole with both hands, neatly snapping it in two. Alex gaped. Just how strong was this savage anyway? Adonis stood and pulled Alex to his feet and then, holding the binding in one hand like a leash, started to tug Alex towards the exit.

Alex would have been quite happy about getting some fresh air, except for the fact that he was still naked as the day he’d been born. Hedonist he might very well be, but he’d never particularly been an exhibitionist. He gave a shout of protest, and attempted to dig his heels into the ground, but it was like trying to hold back a train. After almost stumbling and falling flat on his face, Alex decided to go along with the Adonis willingly, figuring it was more dignified to be led than to be dragged.

He tried not to cringe as they stepped out into bright sunlight, extremely embarrassed about being on display, but other than a couple of looks, no one seemed to be paying them much attention. The Adonis strode confidently through the small encampment, which was made up of many structures like the one they’d just left.

The tent-like things were clustered around what seemed to be a central meeting area that was filled with other Indians, male and female, talking and working. Alex couldn’t tell what they were doing, but they seemed serious about their tasks, although he could see them laughing and smiling with one another. It was hard to believe that these same people had brutally murdered the stagecoach driver and Albert.

But Alex tried his best not to dwell on that, because it only made him nervous about his own future, and he truly didn’t have the energy to give to that worry right now. They walked for several minutes, and Alex dearly wished that he could ask where they were going, but he supposed it would do him no good, since the Adonis probably wouldn’t understand him.

He did take advantage of the opportunity to admire the sleek back muscles of his captor, and pondered whether, if the situation were vastly different, if he would have allowed the man’s earlier caresses to lead to something more. Grinning slightly to himself, he had to acknowledge that the answer was yes. The Adonis was very much his ‘type’. Tall, broad, and so handsome as to be almost pretty.

They stopped on the way to whatever their destination was to take a piss against the side of a giant tree. Alex blinked in confusion at first, trying to understand the man’s hand gestures, and finally getting it when Adonis just pulled out his own penis and started going. He was unaccustomed to personal hygiene out in the middle of the woods, but his bladder was about to burst, so…

Plus, it gave him the chance to get a peek at his captor’s cock and the brief glimpse he got did not leave him disappointed. Apparently the man was huge all over. To his irritation, Alex found himself blushing when Adonis gave him a knowing grin, and he pointedly turned his eyes away.

Their trek resumed and Alex gave a sigh, wondering how much further they had to go. Finally, he could stand the silence no longer. The way he figured it, he could say whatever he wanted without fear of reprisal, and that was a chance that just didn’t come along too often in Alex’s experience.

“You really are quite the handsome fellow, aren’t you?” he said to Adonis’ back.

At the sound of Alex’s voice, Adonis turned his head and looked at him, but just gave him another one of those grins before he turned back to face the way they were walking.

“If I wasn’t afraid that you’re going to kill me and probably, I don’t know, eat my heart or something, I might want to take you up on that offer you were making back there in the camp. Huh. I might ask you for it anyway. Kind of a last request, I suppose.”

Alex normally wasn’t one for mindless chatter, but then he usually had intelligent conversations and lovely music to listen to, not just this quiet interrupted every now and then by the sounds of birds and squirrels all around them. If he couldn’t have conversation with Adonis, he might as well talk to himself.

So, he spoke about the most inane things that came to mind; the last meal he’d had in New York, how much he hated his father, how very badly he was going to torture Victoria Hardwick if he ever got out of this mess that he was in.

He paused in his recitation about fifteen minutes later when he heard the sound of rushing water. Oh, god, I hope this isn’t some ritual thing where I’m about to be tossed over a waterfall! Trying to rein in his overactive imagination, Alex wasn’t paying attention when Adonis stopped, and ran right into his backside. Blushing again, to his extreme annoyance, Alex stepped back, ignoring the ever-present grin that Adonis gave him.

When he looked around the giant, Alex’s jaw dropped at the beautiful sight of a river, small rapids making the rushing noise he’d heard a few moments ago. The water looked clean, and oh, so inviting. He hoped that he was reading Adonis’ intentions right and that he was here to bathe - not to be drowned - and was pleased when the man led him to the edge of the water and motioned washing with his hands.

Alex held his bound hands up and gave Adonis a hopeful look.

“I promise I won’t attempt to escape. I think I want to be clean more than I want to be free at the moment,” he said.

Once again, Adonis snapped the binding as though it were flimsy string, and Alex looked at him in astonishment. How was that possible? Adonis urged him into the water, and Alex decided questions could wait, getting clean could not.

Alex stepped into the river, and despite the chilliness of it, immediately knelt down and started splashing the water over his body, shivering just a little when the water turned pinkish where he’d still had Albert’s blood on his face. He scrubbed the dirt and grime away, and couldn’t help but feel a little better. The bruises and black eye from the attack on the stagecoach were already much improved, but then Alex had always healed quickly.

He looked up to see Adonis squatting down on the shore, watching him curiously as he bathed. Alex smirked at the definite spark of interest he could see in those green eyes.

“You’re a bit of a voyeur, aren’t you? Not that I’m not used to it, being who I am. Alexander Luthor, favorite specimen in the New York zoo,” he said, only slightly bitterly.

He noticed that Adonis’ scrutiny suddenly became intense again as he scowled at Alex.

“What? Did you understand something I said?” Alex asked. “Oh. Oh, I’ll bet it was the name Luthor. You know that name, don’t you?”

The scowl deepened when Alex said his family name, letting him know that he was undoubtedly correct in his guess.

“Don’t worry, I hate my father just as much as you do, more probably. After all, he’s been tormenting me for twenty-seven years. He’s only been a pain in your ass for what? About twelve or so? I think that’s when he got on this big railroad kick, anyway.”

Adonis pointed at him and growled, “Luthor.”

It was very odd to hear a word that he understood coming out of that mouth. And yet again, Alex felt like he had to defend himself against his father’s sins. That had happened quite often back home.

“I’m not my father, you know. I didn’t want to come here and have anything to do with this railroad. For all I care, you and your people can prance around naked in the woods forever. In fact, I think I’d like to see you naked, that would be nice,” he said with a wicked grin.

“Luthor,” Adonis repeated adamantly.

Alex slapped his hand on his chest a couple of times and said loudly, “Alexander Luthor. Not my father! Alex!”

Adonis glowered at Alex for a few more seconds before throwing his head back and letting out a robust laugh. Alex’s eyes widened when he suddenly stripped off his buckskin breeches and waded into the water to settle nearby. He then went a little deeper into the river, dunked his head and came up with a grin, flipping his wet hair behind him.

Alex just stared in bemusement, his belly still thrumming with arousal at having gotten quite a good look at all of Adonis’ assets this time. How odd that he’d just wished that the Indian would get naked and then he did. Alex eyed the man suspiciously. Perhaps he understood more English than he was letting on?

“I’d love to fuck you right now,” Alex said, just to test.

But Adonis showed no reaction other than to grin at Alex again.

“Lex,” he said, pointing at Alex again.

“No, Alex,” he corrected.

“Lex,” Adonis insisted.

“Aaah-lex. Say it with me now…aaaaaaah-lex,” Alex exaggerated.

Adonis sank down a bit into the water, so that all Alex could see was his face, and his expression turned sultry, a sinful smile playing at the corners of his lips. His eyes, which were such a clear, true shade of green, seemed to darken to a smoky moss.

When he spoke again, his voice sent shivers down Alex’s spine. “Lex,” he said softly.

“Lex it is, then,” Alex said, his own voice a little shaky.

Adonis stood back up, the playful grin coming back to his features, and pointed to himself. “Kal,” he said. “Kal.”

“Your name is Kal?” A nod of the head. “Kal. Interesting name for an Indian, but it suits you, I suppose.”

Kal motioned for them to go back to shore and Alex happily complied, pleased to have another chance to peruse Kal’s body. The man didn’t cooperate overmuch this time, though, quickly pulling his pants back on. From somewhere - Alex had no idea from where or how it was possible - Kal produced another pair of buckskins for Alex and a pair of soft shoes for his feet. They fit reasonably well, although he had to roll the bottoms of the pants up a bit to keep from tripping over them, and he was very grateful that he wouldn’t have to walk through the encampment naked again.

He was very much dismayed, however, when Kal produced another piece of leather binding and quickly tied Alex’s hands together again. It was done so swiftly that it was accomplished before Alex had the chance to protest.

Of course, he still attempted to protest, but a warning glare from Kal made him hold his tongue. His captor had treated him fairly well so far, and Alex wasn’t sure how much longer that was going to last, but he didn’t plan on doing anything to antagonize Kal if he could help it.

The trip back felt shorter than the one going, although Alex was still glad to see the camp when it came into sight. He tried not to think on the irony of that too much, seeing as he was still a prisoner, but he was tired and ready to sleep some more. The sun was setting and he wondered how long it had been since he had been taken, whether the attack had taken place this morning, or if a day or two had passed.

Alex didn’t really think that he had been unconscious that long, but he wasn’t sure, and he had no way of asking Kal that question. When they arrived back at Kal’s dwelling, he tied Alex’s lead back to the pole. Alex gazed at him mutinously, but didn’t say anything. Kal left, and Alex wondered if he was to be alone again, but a few minutes later, he was back and he had food.

Alex’s mouth watered at the smell of the cooked meat. He didn’t even care what kind of animal it was; he would have eaten bugs at this point, he was so hungry. Kal had ripped the meat into bite-sized pieces for him so that he could eat with his bound hands, and he watched indulgently as Alex ate ravenously. When he was finished, Kal handed him a canteen fashioned out of animal skin that was filled with water.

Once Alex’s thirst was slaked, Kal signed to him that he should sleep, and Alex did not feel up to arguing with him. This time Kal provided him with a soft fur to lie on, and almost before his head hit the ground, Alex was deeply asleep.

~*~*~

Several days passed, and the routine was always the same. Every morning they walked to the river and bathed, sometime accompanied by others in the village, sometimes alone. Once back at the camp, Alex would sit tied to the pole while Kal worked.

Alex had decided that Kal must be the tribe’s answer to a weapons master, because he fashioned the hatchets that the warriors used. He would carefully use a special stone to grind away at the rock he used for the head of the hatchet, checking the sharpness and width often as he worked.

When he had deigned the weapon ready, he used twine to bind it tightly against a handle that he carved himself, wrapping it until nothing could jar it loose. Kal also made the arrows for the bows that the Indians used for hunting. The hatchets took longer and Alex was rather grateful that Kal mainly worked on the arrows, because the other weapon brought sickening memories to mind.

For the arrows, though, Kal used a special blade, the strangest looking weapon Alex had ever seen. It was a short knife, the metal a dulled gray, and the bulky pommel was flared at the top and bottom, almost like wings. There was a simplistic sketch of what appeared to be a stick figure of a man on the handle.

The one time Alex had reached out to touch the knife in curiosity, Kal had barked a harsh word at him and blocked his hand from getting too close. Alex had observed that no one else was allowed to touch this blade either, so he wasn’t too insulted. In fact, it very rarely left the sheath that Kal carried it in on his thigh.

Alex had yet to determine what the purpose behind his capture was. Kal didn’t make him do any work, and yet he never attempted to use him in any other way either, although Alex had half-hoped that he would. Unless they were somehow planning to ransom him to his father, which Alex found very unlikely, then the only thing he could surmise was that Kal wanted someone to watch him while he worked. It was frustrating trying to read the man when he couldn’t adequately communicate with him.

Oddly, Alex found himself not exactly enjoying his experience, but he did appreciate the peacefulness of it. All he had to do was follow Kal around, and that was certainly no hardship. There were no constant verbal battles with his father, no contemptuous judging looks from strangers. Everything simply was.

If Alex hadn’t seen first hand how violent these people could be, he would never have believed them capable of it. No one else attempted to speak or interact with him, which made him again wonder about Kal’s status in the tribe.

He definitely commanded the other warriors’ respect, but Kal wasn’t the chief, as Alex had seen a man that could be nothing but the leader of this group. The man had walked by, pausing to give Alex a measuring glance as he did so, but he didn’t stop for long. He and Kal had nodded at one another, trading a brief greeting. Alex could sense the mild subservience in Kal’s demeanor, and strangely, a fleeting grimace crossed his face almost as though he were in pain, but it passed quickly.

It had appeared to be more mutual respect than anything, though, and Kal was much younger than the supposed chief, so perhaps he was next in line for leadership? Maybe the chief was Kal’s father, although they did not seem to be very familial. Not that Alex himself had any clue what a normal father-son relationship was supposed to be like.

Because he needed to interact with someone somehow or go mad, Alex had fallen into the habit of talking to Kal. He realized it was fairly silly to spend so much time blabbing at someone who couldn’t understand a word you were saying, but it occupied his mind. It didn’t make any sense at all, but Kal was a good listener.

Alex told him things that he’d never told anyone else; memories of his mother, his first time having sex, his fears and doubts about ever living up to his father’s expectations, the nightmares he’d suffered after the accident. He even tossed in a few comments here and there about how attractive Kal was and various things he’d like to do to his body.

Kal, of course, didn’t respond other than to look up at Alex and smile every once in a while, but it was enough to keep him from going stir crazy. He figured that he had been here a couple of weeks, and Alex found himself surprisingly content. He wondered if his father was even looking for him or if Lionel had his son already dead and buried.

Alex mentioned just a bit wistfully to Kal one bright afternoon that he almost wished he could stay here forever. Although he did add that if he didn’t get laid soon, he feared he might explode. That was one of the points when Kal looked up from his tasks and gave Alex that smile, and it almost felt like Kal could understand what he was saying at those times.

Naturally, just when he’d begun to get accustomed to things the way they were, Kal decided to throw a huge cannon ball of change in Alex’s direction.

For some reason, Kal didn’t tie his hands that night when they lay down to go to sleep. He had stopped tying them during the day after the first week, but at night, Alex was still trussed up like a dog on a chain. Until tonight. Alex was awakened by soft whispering from the other side of the tent. Usually, he liked hearing the language of the Kawatche spoken; it was so lyrical that it was rather soothing. But right now, it was waking him from a pleasant dream and it was annoying.

He was half drifting between sleep and wakefulness, listening to Kal’s deep voice interspersed with someone’s lighter, softer tone…and there were giggles, which was really very vexing when one was trying to sleep. Alex thought about turning over and telling them to be quiet when a distinctive moan fluttered through the air, and he was suddenly wide awake.

His eyes snapped open and his entire body froze as he listened to the moans and sighs begin to increase. Alex’s jaw clenched in anger and irritation. Kal was having sex with someone who was not him! Alex was not normally much of a jealous person, never having been that attached to any of his lovers - which very much explained why he was still unmarried - but he was certainly feeling the pangs of envy now.

Well, if he couldn’t be the one having sex with Kal, Alex absolutely was not going to pass up the opportunity to at least see Kal having sex. As quietly as he could, Alex shifted onto his stomach and carefully turned his head towards the other side of the tent. His eyes widened and he barely managed to restrain a gasp.

Kal was lying on his back, one hand behind his head. The other hand was lazily caressing the breast of the woman straddled above him. Her hips were rolling back and forth over Kal’s hips, rising a little, then falling back down, soft little moans coming from her throat every time she moved. Every once in a while, Kal’s eyes fell closed and he let out a sigh.

Alex’s cock immediately went half-hard, and he had the thought that this might not have been such a good idea after all. Kal whispered something up to the girl, and Alex’s stomach clenched with desire at the tone of command in his voice. Oh, god, the things he could do with that man…

She giggled again and rose up completely, lifting herself off of him and allowing Kal’s fully hard cock to be visible to Alex’s view. The girl slid down to settle herself between his legs, and then proceeded to pleasure Kal with her mouth. Or she attempted to. Kal was quite large, and obviously the peoples native to the Americas were unfamiliar with the concept of deep throating. At least, this particular Kawatche female was.

“I could make that so much better for you, Kal,” Alex whispered. And then he realized he’d said that out loud.

Kal turned his head and pinned Alex with his stare, but funnily enough, he didn’t seem shocked that Alex was watching, or embarrassed for that matter. He looked down at the girl between his thighs and said something else to her. She raised up and pouted at him, whining what had to have been some sort of protest. Kal spoke again more firmly this time, and she got up huffily and pulled a dress that had been crumpled nearby over her head. She left, but not before sending Alex a resentful glare.

Kal just watched her go, and then turned his gaze back to Alex. He sat up, not bothering to cover himself. In fact, his hand dropped down to his cock and he slowly stroked it as he stared at Alex.

Nervously, Alex sat up as well and faced Kal. He wondered if he was about to be punished in some way for interrupting Kal’s tryst. Kal didn’t speak for several minutes, just stared Alex down with those intense eyes, still fondling himself. Alex considered apologizing, but that would be useless.

“So you can pleasure me better than she could?” Kal said casually.

“Of course I could-” Alex started and then his brain caught up to his ears and he gaped at Kal open-mouthed. “You…you speak English! You bastard!”

Kal’s grin this time was positively evil. “Yes, I do, Lex, and your conversations have been very stimulating.”

Alex cringed in mortification as his mind rapidly recalled all the many humiliating things he’d said to Kal over the last couple of weeks. Slowly, the embarrassment gave way to anger as he stared at the smug man sitting across from him.

“You…how could you do that? You lied to me! Let me think you didn’t understand anything I was saying, and I told you…god, I told you things I’d never tell anyone!”

“I had to be sure that I could trust you. And believe me when I say that I would never betray anything you told me in confidence, Lex.”

Alex’s hands squeezed into tight fists and his whole body practically vibrated with the strength of his fury. “So why now? You just suddenly decided that I could be trusted?”

“You told me yesterday that you wished you could stay here forever. That’s when I knew it was time to tell you the first truth.”

“First truth? What the hell does that mean?”

“It means that I have many things to tell you, Lex. But I cannot tell you all of them now. You will have to be patient.”

“Oh, I think my patience ran out about the same time you starting spouting off like an English professor, Kal. Is that even your real name? And just how do you speak such perfect English anyway?” Alex demanded. “Or are those answers some of the truths I’m supposedly not ready for yet,” he added with a sneer.

“No, I can tell you that. The Kawatche call me Star Child, but my true name is Kal. And I speak English so well because the Kawatche are not my first family. When I first came to Kansas, I lived with a farmer and his wife. In my tenth summer, the Kawatche attacked their farm and killed them. Instead of killing me, they took me with them to raise as one of their own, and I have been with them ever since.”

Alex stared at Kal silently, some of his anger leeching away at the story, even though he sensed that he wasn’t hearing the entire tale. He had about a million questions but he also had the sense that Kal wasn’t going to answer too many of them at the moment.

“Your eyes. It always confused me that they were so green, but I just assumed you had white blood somewhere in your ancestry. So you’re not Indian at all?”

“No, I am definitely not Indian,” Kal said, and he gave a mysterious little smile as he said it.

The air of ‘I know something you don’t and I’m just not going to tell you right now’ that Kal was projecting was starting to get extremely annoying.

“So what happens now?” Alex asked.

“I believe you made a boast that you need to prove,” Kal said, with a hint of challenge in his tone.

“You can’t be serious. If I get within an inch of you right now, I’m going to hit you in the face, not suck your cock,” Alex said in disbelief.

“That would not be a wise idea, Lex,” Kal said.

“I’m sure you don’t think so, as you’d be the one getting hit, but it would certainly make me feel a lot better,” Alex said sullenly.

There was an abrupt whoosh of air in the small space and all of a sudden Kal was right there in front of him, leaning in so close that Alex could see the tiny flecks of gold in his green eyes. Alex’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. He hadn’t even seen Kal move!

“How the hell did you-”

“It would not be wise for you to strike me, Lex, because you would only hurt yourself. I mean that literally. I have much to explain to you, but now is not the time,” Kal said, his voice low and intense.

Alex was having a difficult time thinking straight when the object of his lust for the past two weeks was practically on top of him, and naked to boot.

“When will be the time?” Alex whispered.

Kal smiled at him, a brilliant wide grin that made Alex’s heart rate increase.

“You will know when it is time. We have a destiny together, Alexander Luthor. And nothing is going to stand in the way of it.”

“Destiny,” Alex repeated, and although he should be afraid, he should think that Kal was insane, the word felt right, like it was meant to be.

“As for now…I have been with a woman many times, Lex, but I have never lain with a man. I am very interested in how this can be done. Will you show me?” Kal asked, and his eyes were doing that smoky thing that drove Alex insane.

“Yes,” Alex said shakily, surrendering to forces greater than himself without a second thought.

Kal’s gaze dropped to Alex’s mouth for an instant before he slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips against Alex’s own. A gasp shimmered between them and Alex couldn’t tell for sure if it came from himself or from Kal. A few seconds later, it didn’t matter as their mouths clashed harder, hungrier, opening to taste each other with tongues. Alex’s hands slid up to clutch at the back of Kal’s head, tangling in his long, dark hair.

With an impatient grunt, Kal sat back and pulled Alex fully onto his lap, his arms wrapping around Alex’s back, reassuring in their strength. A helpless little whimper escaping his lips, Alex wound his legs around Kal’s waist and pushed his hips forward, grinding his erection against Kal’s. Before he quite knew how it had happened, Alex was naked, too, and Kal was pressing him down onto the soft furs that made up his bed.

The rest of the night was spent exploring bodies, touching, kissing and caressing every inch of each other they could reach. Kal was an amazing lover; giving, passionate, very vocal, and he was seemingly tireless. Alex saw more evidence of that uncanny strength as Kal lifted and moved and shifted his lover around as though he were a feather, but Alex didn’t have the energy or the inclination to wonder about it.

At the moment when Kal was buried inside him, pushing deeper than any lover he’d ever had before, Alex realized a blinding truth. Their eyes were locked together just as intensely as their bodies were, and Kal’s eyes almost had a reddish glow to them. That was when Alex knew and acknowledged the inescapable fact that this was his future. This man and everything he was, even those things which Alex did not yet know, were more important to Alex than his own life.

“I love you,” he whispered, and knew they were the truest words he’d ever spoken.

“Yes!” Kal hissed triumphantly. His hand reached in between their bodies, curving around Alex’s cock, stroking hard and fast, and the two of them climaxed at almost the same time, shuddering and crying out in amazement.

Afterwards, Kal cupped Alex’s face with his hands, much as he’d done that first day, and rested his forehead against his lover’s. “I love you, too, Lex. You are mine and I will never let anyone hurt you or take you away ever again,” he promised.

~*~*~

The next month might have been the happiest Alex had ever been in his life. No, there was no ‘might’ about it…it was the happiest he’d ever been. Simply the fact that he and Kal had been lovers for a month and Alex wasn’t bored yet was something he’d never experienced before. Every night with Kal was like a new and wondrous beginning and Alex couldn’t envision ever being without him again.

It wasn’t completely perfect, as Kal was still a little too reticent for Alex’s taste about all those things he was supposed to reveal ‘in time’, but he could be patient. Or at least he could pretend to be patient. Alex had never been with a partner who was so dominant before and it was a struggle not to let himself get completely swept under by the force of Kal’s personality. They had a few heated arguments about many aspects of their new relationship, but if this was their destiny as Kal had proclaimed, Alex was determined that he’d have as much say in it as Kal did.

Kal revealed pieces of himself a little at a time, showing incredible strength and speed, and no matter how hard he tried, Alex could not make a lasting mark on his skin. Alex wondered how his lover had come to possess such astounding abilities. They were certainly beyond anything Alex had ever heard of before, and he pondered if perhaps Kal wasn’t a god come straight from the mountains of Olympus. He didn’t truly believe that, of course, but he knew there was more to Kal than he was telling so far, and Alex very much wanted to know the rest of the story.

He also told Alex about his life with the farmers that he’d lived with before the Kawatche had taken him. Their names were Jonathan and Martha Kent and they had called him Clark while he was living with them. Alex asked him why he called himself Kal if that was the case, but apparently that was another thing that wasn’t to be shared with him yet.

Alex had the feeling that the Kents had not been his first family either, as he did not refer to them as mother or father, instead calling them by their first names. But again, that was one of the subjects that Kal dodged when Alex asked about it. He hoped that full disclosure would be coming soon, because for the last couple of days, Alex had been feeling unaccountably anxious, as though something were on the horizon. And whatever it was, was not good.

Kal had endeavored to begin teaching Alex the Kawatche language and he was picking it up relatively well. He could have simple conversations with the others in the tribe, and naturally, he used this to try and find out more about Kal from someone else. Frustratingly, no one would tell him anything about Star Child except that he was a much revered member of the tribe. It was strange, though; sometimes Alex got the impression that they almost feared him as much as they loved him.

Whether it was fear or love that held their tongues, the rest of the Indians accepted Alex’s place as Kal’s…whatever he was in their eyes…without comment or protest. For all that they protected their lands with ferocious violence, the Kawatche seemed overall a peaceful people, and discord among them was very rare. Which was why Alex was so surprised one morning when an uneasy rumbling ran through the crowd gathered in the center of the village.

Following the gazes of several people, he saw Kal in a heated argument with another warrior. Alex recognized him as the same man that Kal had overruled on the day of the stagecoach attack, whose name he had learned was Gray Deer. Alex had noted that there was a constant low level of animosity and competition between Star Child and Gray Deer, and more often than not, Kal ended up having the upper hand.

The chief, called Great Father by everyone in the tribe, was watching the disagreement silently. From what Alex could tell, he was the arbitrator of the dispute, because Gray Deer was gesturing towards Kal while appealing to the elder. Alex wished he was close enough to hear what was being said, although he might not have been able to follow it, as limited as his Kawatche was as of yet.

When the three of them turned to look straight at Alex, that bad feeling that he had been suffering the last couple of days spiked, making his insides twist with agitation. Finally, Great Father spoke, pulling the attention of the two squabbling warriors back to him. When he was finished, he turned away, heading back towards his own teepee. Unfortunately, it appeared that this was not one of the times that Kal had prevailed because he had a set, grim look on his face as he stalked over towards Alex, and Gray Deer was definitely looking smug behind Kal’s back.

“Kal? What was all that-” Alex started to ask.

“Inside, please, Lex, and we will discuss it there,” Kal said, cutting him off.

Alex wasn’t sure if he had ever seen Kal this unsettled before. It was making him very nervous, but he got up and followed Kal back to their teepee. Once inside, they sat on the floor, facing one another. Kal huffed out a sigh of irritation, before he looked at Alex with his usual intense gaze.

“Gray Deer has challenged me.”

“What does that mean?” Alex asked when Kal said nothing more.

“It means he wants something that I have, and I have denied it. It means that we will be required to confront each other to see which of us will get to have what we both want.”

“What is it that he wants?”

“You,” Kal said simply.

Alex’s heart leapt into his throat. He felt the need to reassure Kal that no one else could ever take his place in Alex’s heart. “I’ve never done anything to encourage him, I swear that to you, Kal.”

Kal gave a harsh laugh. “He does not want you like that, Lex. He wants to kill you.”

Now Alex felt the stirrings of real fear for the first time in weeks. “What?” he asked, his face going pale.

“He will not be allowed the chance to even come near you, Lex. You are mine and I have sworn to protect you. This, I will do,” Kal vowed seriously.

“But why does he want to kill me? I haven’t done anything to offend him, have I?” Alex asked in confusion. Sometimes the particular customs of the Kawatche still eluded him, and he feared that he had brought this down on Kal’s head by accident somehow.

Kal sighed. “It has nothing to do with you personally. Gray Deer and I have fought against one another from childhood. I was brought into the Kawatche tribe at ten summers old. At the time, Gray Deer was only eight. He is Great Father’s son by blood, but I am Great Father’s son in spirit, and I am the one that he has chosen to lead the tribe when he is gone. Gray Deer cannot accept this, and has always tried to bring me down in Great Father’s eyes, so that he can be the future leader of the tribe.”

“Still, how does killing me bring you down in Great Father’s eyes?”

“Our crops were smaller than usual this year. Game in the forest is not as plentiful the last couple of months. Gray Deer blames this on you for bringing bad spirits to haunt the tribe, and thus on me because I prevented him from killing you when we pulled you out of the stagecoach.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Alex scoffed.

Kal shrugged one shoulder carelessly. “It is what he believes.”

Then Alex worried that he had offended Kal with his words, while at the same time he felt a little hurt if that was what Kal thought. “Is that what you believe?”

Kal smiled at him tenderly. “Lex, you could never bring bad spirits. You are everything that is good in this world.”

Alex found himself blushing at Kal’s words. The compliment would have sounded absurd coming from anyone else, but from Kal, it was quietly sincere, and meant more to Alex than he would have ever thought possible. In gratitude, Alex leaned forward and kissed Kal, which quickly led to other things and they were distracted for quite a while.

Afterwards, they lay quietly on the furs together, Kal on his back, Alex on his side to Kal’s left. Alex was curled up as close to Kal as he could get without lying on top of him, and he had his leg nestled in between Kal’s knees. He reached up to pull a section of hair away from Kal’s face and absently began to braid it, a skill he’d asked one of the tribeswomen to teach him when he’d seen her doing her own hair. As they were both fairly relaxed, Alex felt safe in bringing up the issue of the challenge again.

“What exactly will this challenge entail?” he asked quietly.

“A fight, with weapons. We battle until one man can no longer continue.”

“To the death, then?” Alex asked.

“Not always. Sometimes the victor will have mercy and allow the other man to simply yield.” He glanced over at Alex and gave him a teasing smile. “Are you worried about me?”

“Of course not. I anticipate Gray Deer’s thorough ass-kicking, courtesy of you,” Alex said flippantly.

“I am allowed to hit him in other places besides his ass, right? Because I think that kind of limits me,” Kal said, his grin widening.

Alex whapped Kal in the face with the braid he was working on, and then they were both laughing too hard to worry about anything for a while.

~*~*~

The days leading up to the challenge were slightly more stressful than the ones before it had been issued, and Alex tried to relax as he knew logically that there was no way Gray Deer could hope to best Kal. He had seen Kal punch through a boulder once when they were down at the river. Gray Deer had never demonstrated any enhanced strength, so how could he possibly hope to stand up to Star Child?

Which is what worried Alex. The Kawatche were very much aware that their Star Child was different from them. Although Alex suspected he held back from showing his full potential, he had never been shy about using his strength or speed around them. Kal was, in fact, considered one of the primary protectors of the tribe for that reason. Gray Deer must know that there was no way for him to win, so why had he put forth the challenge?

The only thing Alex could conjecture was that perhaps Gray Deer did not realize how impenetrable Kal’s skin was. If that was the case, Alex feared that the jealous warrior had some plan in mind to cheat, even though Alex couldn’t figure out how he intended to do so. To Alex’s dismay, when he tried to bring these concerns up with Kal, he was told quite firmly to stay out of the matter.

So Alex kept his mouth shut, but he also kept his eye on Gray Deer, as unobtrusively as he could, watching to see if any foul play was brewing. To his frustration, the man did nothing out of the ordinary, or at least nothing that Alex had been able to catch him at.

A challenge such as this one was a serious affair among the Kawatche and when the appointed night arrived, every man, woman, and child in the village was present for it. The battle was to take place in a sacred clearing, about half a mile into the forest from the village itself. There were torches placed around the fighting ground to provide light, since tradition demanded that the fight take place under a full moon.

The other tribe members sat in a loose circle around an area large enough for the two men to clash. Alex, as the prize in the challenge, had been placed right beside Great Father. He had been so worried about Kal that Alex had almost forgotten if Gray Deer won this challenge, his own life was also forfeit.

The two men faced each other, dressed only in loincloths. Kal had his unique blade, and Gray Deer had chosen to use a hatchet. Alex thought it would be extremely ironic if Kal were to be killed by a weapon he had probably crafted himself. He shook his head, trying to clear it of such negative thoughts.

Great Father shouted a command and the battle began. The two combatants circled one another warily at first. Alex wondered what the hell Kal was waiting for. Why didn’t he just step up and take that hatchet out of Gray Deer’s hand before he knew what was happening? That was when he noticed that Kal was not acting like himself. He was sweating, his face held tight as though he was trying to hold back a grimace of pain, and had he just stumbled?!

Alex had been in this village for nearly two months and he’d never even seen Kal stub a toe, much less nearly fall. He was incredibly graceful for a man of his stature. Alex tensed, every instinct in him screaming to jump up and get his lover the hell out of there. Great Father must have sensed his distress, because he laid a hand on Alex’s arm and said something. He was so anxious he didn’t quite get the exact translation, but Alex got the intent: don’t interfere.

Now the warriors were starting to truly fight, each taking experimental swings with their weapon to feel out his opponent. Kal was only barely dodging Gray Deer’s blows, which just didn’t make sense. Then there was a strike in which Kal didn’t move quite fast enough, and Gray Deer’s hatchet scraped across his stomach. Alex, and every other person in the village, gasped in shock as Kal’s blood seeped from the wound.

How was this possible? Alex saw the look of surprise on Kal’s face and realized that even he didn’t quite understand what was going on. Gray Deer began to speak, and Alex grasped just enough of it to hear that he was taunting Kal, calling him unworthy of the Kawatche people and proclaiming himself their new protector. When he glanced over at Alex, and his smile turned vicious, he said something about how he was going to enjoy killing Star Child’s whore.

At that threat, Kal’s expression turned murderous, and he suddenly charged Gray Deer, taking the other man by surprise and plowing the both of them into the ground. Somehow, they’d both lost their weapons, but Kal was still handicapped in some unknown way. Gray Deer took advantage of the chance to beat Star Child with his bare fists. Seeing the sheer pleasure he got out of it, Alex thought it must have been something that he’d dreamed of for a long time.

Alex was about to explode with fear and rage. He was watching his lover being beaten to death right in front of him. Damn the consequences of what the onlookers would do to him, Alex was two seconds from leaping to his feet and ripping that bastard’s head off his shoulders. He had half-risen to his feet when he noticed something odd. Gray Deer was wearing an amulet with a green stone around his neck, where he’d never worn ornamentation before. If it was a ceremonial thing, wouldn’t Kal have one as well?

What really caught his attention, however, was the way the faintly glowing amulet was hanging from Gray Deer’s neck as he kneeled over Kal. It swung back and forth with its wearer’s movements and every time it came closer to Kal, the glow intensified. Suddenly, it clicked in Alex’s mind and he realized where he’d seen the necklace before. It belonged to Great Father, and Alex had seen the way Kal flinched whenever Great Father came too close.

The amulet was the thing that was making Kal weak, and the closer it was to him, the worse the effects were. Alex had to do something, or Kal was going to die. But he couldn’t interfere directly or they might both die through the wrath of the tribe.

There were mutterings growing ever louder from the crowd, who were stunned that their invincible one was being defeated. Alex hoped that Kal would be able to hear him, just as he also hoped that most of the Kawatche didn’t understand English very well.

“Kal!” he shouted. His call went unheard by the tribe, but unfortunately, Kal didn’t hear it either. “KAL!” he shouted a little louder.

Gray Deer had started to choke Star Child at this point, obviously wanting to end his rival’s life with his own hands, but Alex thought that Kal’s head turned slightly towards his voice.

“The necklace, Kal! Get the necklace off him! Get it away from you!”

Kal’s hands were desperately trying to pry Gray Deer’s fingers from around his neck, and at first, Alex didn’t think he had heard his plea. But then, one hand slowly crept up Gray Deer’s arm towards his neck. Gray Deer was so intoxicated with the realization that he was about to destroy his enemy that he had neither heard Alex’s warning nor did he realize what Kal was attempting.

With a frightful roar, Kal ripped the amulet from around Gray Deer’s neck and threw it several feet away. At the same time, obviously feeling a rush of renewed strength, in one move he flipped a shocked Gray Deer off of him and rolled over to take the dominant position above him. Somehow, he’d come up with his blade at the same time and it was quickly pressed against Gray Deer’s throat.

Kal’s eyes were blazing, and his jaw was clenched tightly as he growled a sharp order in Kawatche to his adversary. Alex recognized the command to yield and held his breath, hoping that Kal would be able to hold him long enough, because the amulet was still too close for his comfort.

Kal shouted the demand to yield again, pushing the blade a little deeper into Gray Deer’s throat, and finally the defeated warrior gasped out a surrender. Kal’s body relaxed but as he straightened slightly over Gray Deer’s supine form, Alex thought he still looked like he was about to collapse.

Great Father stepped forward and declared the challenge over, proclaiming Star Child the victor, and granting him the prize…which Alex was a little abashed to remember was himself. Not caring anymore what the rest of the tribe thought, Alex rushed forward to help Kal to his feet before he fell over. He wrapped an arm around Kal’s waist, doing his best to support him, not an easy task since he probably outweighed Alex by at least fifty pounds.

They had only taken half a dozen steps, and Alex was softly murmuring to Kal that he was going to take care of him, when an agonized shriek had them jerking back around in surprise. They stared in shock as they saw that Gray Deer was staggering away from them, his hatchet still clutched in his hand, and there was an arrow in his shoulder. He was staring at the bow in Great Father’s hands in disbelief.

Alex was appalled as he understood what Gray Deer had done. Great Father then condemned his son as a coward and a disgrace for not respecting the outcome of the challenge and attempting to exact his revenge against Kal. Gray Deer tried to protest, but everyone had seen it and there was no way he could deny his actions. Great Father sadly pronounced punishment on Gray Deer by banishing him from the tribe and ordered him never to return.

Gray Deer stared at his father, devastated by what he’d just said, and then he looked at Kal and Alex with such fierce anger in his eyes that Alex imagined he could almost feel the heat of his hatred. Kal stared back at him impassively, before turning to leave the battleground, pulling Alex gently along with him.

The further they got away from the field - and the necklace - the more Kal seemed to improve. By the time they’d reached their teepee, he was walking much easier, and some of the cuts and bruises had begun to heal. Alex insisted on pampering him a bit anyway, and made Kal lie down while he cleaned some of the blood off of him.

Kal seemed distracted as Alex washed him, and then he suddenly said, “Gray Deer is a fool.”

“Yes, well, we knew that when he challenged you to a fight, didn’t we? Do you think he knew the effect the necklace had on you?”

“Yes, I believe he must have known somehow. That is why he was so confident, but that is not why he is a fool.”

“Enlighten me,” Alex murmured as he trailed the cloth across Kal’s stomach.

“He had gained the tribe’s respect, even if he did not win the challenge, by almost defeating me. No one has ever come so close to killing me, Lex. Ever. And then he threw it all away because he could not handle the fact that I defeated him despite his underhanded ways.”

“Why did you even go into that battle when you saw him wearing the necklace?” Alex asked, a little bewildered.

“I could not suddenly refuse the challenge. Besides, I had no idea the necklace had that affect on me. I was as confused as everyone else until I heard your call to me.”

Alex dropped the cloth he was using to wipe Kal’s wounds in astonishment. “How could you not know that? I’ve seen you cringe around Great Father, and I never understood why, but I thought you knew.”

“I never connected the two. I have never told you about the day the Kawatche took me from the Kent farm, have I?”

Alex shook his head no, and Kal continued.

“The reason they did not kill me is because they were unable to. They tried shooting me with arrows, bashing my skull, stabbing me, beating me…none of it worked, and they were suddenly frightened that I was some sort of demon.”

“You must have been terrified,” Alex said, feeling sympathy for that ten year old boy.

“I was. I had just seen the only parents I had ever known on earth killed, and now their murderers were trying to kill me. And even though their attempts did not succeed, they were still incredibly painful. My abilities have increased as I’ve gotten older, and at ten, my skin was not as tough as it is now. I carried scars from that day for several years, but they eventually faded.”

“So what happened then?”

“The warriors in charge of the raid took me back to their camp, to ask Great Father what they should do with me. The moment that he stepped close to me, I collapsed into a heap at his feet. They took it to mean that I was acknowledging his superiority over me. I have never been sure what Great Father himself was thinking, but when I looked up at him, he must have seen something in my gaze, because he declared me a member of the tribe. By my sixteenth summer, he had announced me as his successor for chief.”

“How did you not realize later on that it was the necklace that caused you to collapse?”

“He wore it all the time. He was the only person who made me feel that pain, so for a long time I believed what they told me about him being some sort of demi-god. I was only ten, remember. Anyway, I suppose once I became older and realized that he was just a normal man, I could have run away, but I had nowhere to go, and I decided that living with the Kawatche was better than being on my own, so I stayed,” Kal said with a shrug.

“But you still didn’t connect a glowing green necklace to your bouts of flopping and flailing all over the place. Not the most observant guy in the world, are you?” Alex teased.

Kal gave him a gentle push before responding. “I saw you and decided to save your life, did I not?”

Alex leaned over and kissed his hero softly. “Yeah, you did. Still not sure exactly why you did decide to do that, but trust me, I’m very grateful.”

Kal’s expression went utterly serious, startling Alex. He startled Alex further when he suddenly leapt to his feet and grabbed his lover by the hand, pulling him towards the door of the teepee.

“Come with me!” Kal said urgently.

“Whoa, hold on! I know you’re tough, but you were just in a battle for your life. Don’t you think you need to rest?” Alex protested, trying to resist Kal’s yanking on him, and having about as much success as he had that first day.

Kal turned to grip him by the shoulders and gave one of those blinding grins. “I think it’s time for you to know the truth, Lex.”

Well, hell.

How was he supposed to refuse that?

PART THREE