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Chapter Twelve: Dread of Love

The summer months when by fast. All throughout, the more and more Reis stayed in town on duty and the less and less he was heading up to the academy. The summer was not quite as Marcus expected. Not that it was bad, not at all. He was still proud of the routine of him and Reis waking up every morning to each other, usually showering together, and kissing each other goodbye before parting ways to go to work, and then coming home to spend the rest of the night together. Marcus found it relieving that Reis was no longer waking up every morning to pout about barely making any money from a job he hated; he was now much more active in the mornings and full spunk when he got home. Further, Marcus was never lacking in things to do, whether it was preparing things for the office or at home studying for the LSATs, which were coming up in October.

It was just Joji. Marcus could not put his finger on why he just did not like the young Sheriff. It was not like Joji said anything that really offended him, or argued with him, or did anything that would rightfully justify Marcus always wishing that the Shepkita wouldn't stop by in the office that day to see either Carol or Salina (often both). Not that Joji stopped by often. In fact, by the end of August, he had not been in the office for over a month. Marcus figured that he was probably working on his campaign for re-election or something of the sort. In fact, Marcus saw less and less of him as the months when by, but when he did see the gray canine, he kept his distance.

However, Joji's lacking in physical presence was made up with Reis. Every night Reis had something to say about something that Joji told him (and sometimes of things that Joji told him that Joji heard from someone else). Often the subject was about this Calmonte Lighthorn. Joji keep his word to go to town with this stranger's reputation and apparently it must have worked because the mysterious black wolf turned up less and less (or at least that's what Reis said). Unfortunately, over the course of the summer, three more people ended up dead, and in most disturbing ways. One was cut into pieces, which turned up in various places around the county. Another was found hanging by his neck from a street light with a sign around him saying "Snitchers Be Warned." The last one was burned alive, with some kind of napalm.

But Marcus also kept his word on trying to stay out of Reis's business when it came to his line of life. He almost lost Reis once trying to tie him down so that he could take care of him better, and he was not going to let that happen again. A marriage needs trust and respect as much as love, Marcus always thought.

Still, he worried for his lover. Though Marcus hated the thought, he could help but force himself to think it. It was the thought that usually came to him in the middle of the night, laying in the dark bedroom with Reis sound asleep as he laid his head on the large wolf's chest.

What if Reis is killed?

For one, Marcus knew that the light would be gone from his world forever. Not only his boyfriend who he wanted to be his spouse one day, but also his best friend, the one who was there for him in almost every period in his life. Marcus could almost not remember life without Reis. His life had become Reis. Every breath he took in, every step he made, every moment he spent, he did it because he had Reis to life for.

What if Reis is killed?

He wouldn't be able to move.

He would be numb...paralyzed. He wouldn't be able to take in a breath or even close his eyes, not even to blink. He would only be able to lie somewhere against the ground, his eyes bloody from dryness, his lungs suffocating from no air, his consciousness gone. Rotting alive. All that would be left to do would be to wait for death, knowing how painful it would be.

That was his life's nightmare. And it all seemed the more possible with crime going up in the town and with a young, hardheaded thug fool like...

Marcus would always stop there. It was torture enough to think of the painful death he would suffer with Reis's absence; it could only be made worse by ponding on how it could be fulfilled. All he could do was hold Reis tighter, kiss him harder, and beg him to stay in bed longer.