Chapter Fourteen: Spars, Discoveries, Boys…And Death?
Max had a problem.
A very serious problem.
Two of them, in fact. Actually, it's more like one problem with two angles. A two-in-one issue? A duo of problems wrapped into a singular boxed conundrum? Whatever one calls it, it's a problem — a problem centered around the two men, Mason Lockwood and Kaleb Westphall.
Both men were seeming to compete over Max, and Max, initially amused, was beginning to get annoyed by the constant tension.
It all started two days after resurrecting Mason Lockwood and giving both Mason and Tyler the bite.
Max woke up early on Friday, April 15th, intending to practice his phoenix heritage. He had figured that, since the Age of Klaus Mikaelson was upon him, it was about time he upgraded his own skillset.
The only problem was that the only known phoenix in all of TVDU was Landon Kirby from Legacies, who is currently, like, 5 or right now. He had such limited screen time and they refused to show hardly any powers of the phoenix the guy should possess, so Max has literally no knowledge of phoenix abilities aside from the wings, which he still has yet summoned out.
He was going about this blind.
As he sat in meditative form, deep in focus (and frustration), Max tried to feel the energies within his body, looking for any naturally occurring "inner flames." He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he figured this had to have been the ideal thing to look out for.
He held a calm expression, eyes closed.
He wasn't sure how long he stayed in this position. Minutes? Hours? Days?
Time seemed to blur and ignore his senses.
What he did know was that he felt like he had only just begun meditating in his attic, the early, sunless sky still showing stars and the crescent moon above. When Kol's voice startled him from his thoughts, Max opened an eye.
"You know, an evening was spent in Nanjing watching a witch commune with the spirits of her ancestors. It was fascinating," Kol's voice sounded, causing Max to open an eye fully and look at the wily vampire that appeared before him. "This, on the other hand, is just… boring. Why are you meditating like some eastern world monk? We could be having some serious fun right now, you know. Just think — a breathtaking witch and a dashing ghost, causing the town of Mystic Falls and its residents all kinds of trouble. We would have so much fun!"
"Yes, well, while i agree with the sentiment," Max began, eyes still closed in concentration, "i have to do this first and foremost. Recently i've sensed the aura of your brother within city limits. It will be best i acquire more ways to defend myself — even against an Original like Klaus. i am sure you understand the need, no?"
Kol frowned at that before his smirk returned full force. "Oh believe me, i get it, my little witch. What i don't get is what exactly you are doing here. What kind of spiritualization requires the entire morning to meditate during? Whatever you are meditating for, can you not just ask that ghostly relative that's been silently following you from the Other Side since Wednesday?"
"Because the power i'm looking for is innate, meaning i— wait. What ghostly relative are you—?" began Max as he turned to his right and left, wordlessly using a Revelios charm with his mind. "Oh, Emily. You're here, too? That's nice, I guess. The more, the merrier, I suppose."
Emily Bennett, in her signature 19th century dress and blank expression, stood directly beside Max, eyes watching him like a hawk watching prey. She seemed in thought, despite her focused look. Like she was contemplating something deep.
There was silence… until there wasn't.
"You aren't only a werewolf and witch, are you?" she asked, her deadpanned expression giving nothing away. "You're also something else."
This was not a question.
It a statement. One that caused even the witty Kol to eye Max in suspicion.
Max, meanwhile, opened his eyes, eyeing his distant relative in silence. Minutes passed and Max felt the afternoon sun shine through the window, his skin warming to its touch.
Still, he said nothing, his silence answer enough… until he did.
"I am a… unique existence," Max began, slowly. "i am part witch, part werewolf… and something else."
"Something you're trying to access the powers of to be able to more surely combat my brother," Kol realized, eyes widening. "What could this third thing be that it would give you the confidence to face my brother?"
"Something that hasn't walked the Earth in a millennium or more, perhaps?" Emily tilted her head at Max's blankish expression. "Something that predates the existence of vampires, perhaps? A supernatural that does not fit the big three mold, maybe?"
At this comment, Kol and Emily seemed to weigh tons in terms of the pressure their stares contained— Kol felt more curious, while Emily's was more contemplative. Max only had one thought at Emily's words, though: 'She knows about Malivore somehow,' but he kept his face devoid of expressions.
"What I am haven't walked the Earth since the time of around over a thousand plus years ago," Max admitted, revealing a bomb shell. "I do, however, sense a second one of my kind somewhere on Earth, just unsure where exactly."
Half-truth. Landon would be an infant at this time, but he is still a phoenix.
The answer both seemed to surprise and pacify Emily, who returned to her silent contemplation.
Kol, on the other hand, seemed to watch Max more curiously, as if he had somehow become even more intrigued by Max in general. His eyes darkened, as if he wanted to find out more of Max's secrets… Or ravish Max until he revealed them himself.
Honestly, Max wasn't certain which one he preferred.
The two locked eyes, the room going uncharacteristically silent. The world around the two stilled and Max could swear that there was only them. His heart racing at the thought before beating even faster as Max watched as Kol walked up to him slowly, his eyes intent on making Max want to melt into them.
"You know, darling, if I had a physical body…" Kol began, his hand pressed up to Max's face, and, although it passed through Max, Max felt himself pretend to feel its warmth, eyes closed, breath hitched. "I could help take your mind off of things."
"I—" Max began, when he felt something— a psychic connection he had with the wolves he turned— adrenaline, pain and exertion— from Jeremy, Tyler and Mason. "Teleportus."
Max teleported out of the attic, towards where he felt Tyler, Mason and Jeremy was at, leaving a startled Kol behind with a silent but judgemental Emily Bennett.
Kol
Kol was startled by Max's urgent retreat.
'Did i go too far? I hope I hadn't scared the witch.' he thought to himself in thought, before noticing the Bennett ancestress who was silently judging him.
"Oh, blimey. Do you not have anywhere else to be, witch?" he exclaimed.
Emily fixed Kol with an unimpressed gaze, before giving a defiant smirk.
Kol ignored her presence, choosing to think of ways to make it up to the man…
Max
Max appeared outside the house, towards the vast side lawn where Jeremy, Tyler, and Mason were sparring in a 3 way sparring match — Only, it devolved into a Tyler and Jeremy vs Mason, when it appeared that the other two wolves couldn't match Mason's experience in combat.
Max was paralyzed on the spot, though. Why? Because all three men were shirtless and sweaty, while each of their moves only seemed to further show (somehow) the exposure of their upper body muscles, pectorials, abs, and muscled arms.
At the sight of so much…masculinity, Max was turning red in the face, his 16 almost 17 year old, hormonally charged body was, well, horny — Especially at the sight before him, specifically Mason's shirtless hunk of a bode. Thick but firm, muscled yet born out of perfection with hair in all the right places(happy trail, center of chest, along the arms, fuck!).
'That cannot not be magic,' Max thought, eyes locked on Mason's shirtless torso, body tanned, happy trail quite visible and muscles rippling as he took on Tyler and Jeremy both, yet, despite their almost flawless teamwork, neither were able to get a hit in. Max watched Mason, eyes glued to his pecs practically rippling as he blocked one of Tyler's hits, before throwing back his own punch at Tyler. "Gods. that should be illegal," he murmured to himself, subconsciously licking his lips.
Only, Max forgot two things. One, he forgot to mask his thoughts upon thinking those very naughty thoughts, so, basically, everyone he turned, had heard them, including Mason Lockewood. And, two, he forgot that they were all werewolves; all of them present had heard his muttering.
Mason
Mason, who had called for a break, was playfully smirking as he pretended to stretch, showcasing his muscles after hearing Max's horny, self-monologue while watching him train with his nephew and Jeremy.
Ever since being brought back and upgraded, Mason had felt a pull towards the boy who had brought him back.
At first, he had thought it to be gratitude and a sense of loyalty to his resurrector. And, when he found out Max was a werewolf, too, his pack mentality only further strengthened this belief.
He wouldn't have been wrong in assuming that these things played quite a role in what he was actually feeling for the young hybrid. However, it was the night after he returned that he realized it was something more than just that.
When Max laughed, he wanted to not only laugh, but be the reason behind his laugh. When he smiled, Mason found himself smiling like an idiot. When the boy hadn't eaten, Mason would rush to the kitchen to make food, untold, before bringing it to Max, and forcing him to eat.
It was like Max had become his world. Mason would do anything — be anything — Max needed.
[A/N: Anyone who guesses what is going on properly here, I'll like their comment. XD!]
So, when he noticed Max's obvious lust for him, he decided to help the guy out in any way he could. He won't lie and say he wasn't giddy about the prospect, but no one needed to know that…
Max
Max watched as Tyler and Jeremy began sparring between themselves, and Mason(Oh, gods) — Mason began heading his way, sauntering in step as he, shirtless, made his way over.
"Hey," he waved, walking up to Max, the scent of his sweat nearly overpowering. He seemed to grin a flashing smile, his lips tilting into an eventually playful smirk. "I hope you like the view. I hear pictures are more permanent, though."
Max tried to keep himself from blushing and speak properly. "I-I… um, yeah. It was v-very appealing."
He failed.
'Goddamn it, Max! Why you sounding like a virgin bitch?!' he thought to himself. 'Get a goddamn grip!'
Unconsciously, however, Max's body moved without his say so: His left hand reached towards Mason's impressively, well-built and sweaty chest, surprising both himself and Mason while Mason just watched him, letting Max feel the surface of his chest. "So firm…," Max murmured.
Upon contact, Max was surprised by the werewolf's warm skin. It was warm enough to be a furnace in and of itself. It wasn't quite as warm as Max's body, though, considering Max had a stronger wolf and was part phoenix, he doubted there to be anyone remotely warm enough to be on his level of body heat, not even Landon Kirby.
He trailed a hand over the surface of Mason's chest, eyes watching Mason's breathing hitch every few inches. Max locked onto Mason's darkened eyes, noting how transfixed the 25 year old wolf was on Max's attention. Mason watched Max as his hand trailed over his chest, his eyes never leaving Max's face.
As Max's hand reached Mason's nipple, he finally managed to get a reaction of the older werewolf. Gasp! Mason gasped, his breath intaking as his left nipple, sensitive as it can possibly be, was tugged, hardening in a heartbeat. At the action, Mason's already darkened eyes darkened even more with untold lust.
The very air was heavy the scent of the older man's arousal, and that was all the warning Max even gotten before the rugged werewolf grasped the back if head and their mouths clashed in an epic dance — A dance with, yes, tongues were, indeed, used.
After a long makeout session, Max pulled away, eyeing the string of spit the connected their lips, before smirking. "Damn. Are all Lockwoods good with their mouths or is it just a you-specific trait?"
"My mouth can do Legendary things that I'm almost certain my relatives could never," Mason merely smirked playfully in response, matching Max freak. "Though I;m sure Tyler may know a thing or two more about sucking long things than I ever possibly could — I imagine Jeremy is very satisfied at night, isn't he, little nephew?"
"Oh, fuck off, bastard!" Tyler shouted, as Jeremy doubled over, laughing. When Max shifted his gaze from Mason to the two in question, he noticed both were quite red, though Tyler must've been red for a different reason then Jeremy. 'Huh? So Jyler basically happened on its own? Interesting.'
Then, turning back to Mason, Max grinned to himself as an idea came to him. He leaned forward, Mason following suite, however, before they could kiss, he changed direction, heading towards his chest instead of the werewolf's lips. Nipping the older wolf's nipple, causing the Mason to release a groaned out moan, Max teleported to the attic once more, leaving an even hornier Mason Lockwood to wonder how he was going to get a dent out of his shorts.
All the while, both Kol and Kaleb had been watching the whole exchange from two different places — Kaleb from his room balcony, and Kol, from up close and beside the duo. Both had differing opinions on the matter, with only Kol pleasantly turned on, while Kaleb was more irritatedly turned on, his irritation and libido, tainted by a thick root of jealousy directed at Mason.
But all three wanted Max as their own.
And since then, both Kaleb and mason had been vying for Max's approval and attention —- From fixing him meals, often at the same time and trying to get Max to eat it to working up a sweat during a workout and "inviting" Max to join them. They had openly had a flirt off for Max —- Twice! The second time, Mason had literally shoved Kaleb away.
Kaleb had even bought Max black and red roses and chocolates like he was asking Max to Prom! Don't get Max wrong, the chocolates were delicious and the roses smelled heavenly, but god damn. Was he really that much of a prize?
Kol
"At this rate, they'll end up fighting to the death for your affection," grinned the ghost of the youngest Original vampire on Monday, April 18th. He was quite amused by the young men' s competitive spirits, not at all threatened by it. "You might want to halt that from occurring, no?"
Kol had been enjoying the two men try to outdo each other since the beginning. Sure, he wanted Max for himself — He, on some level of realization, sensed Max wanted his first to be with the Original. Maybe, or maybe he's being a narcissist. Maybe making Max's 'first' to be with himself is something his brain is reading into too deeply.
Either way, Kol figured so long as none of the other contenders stole Max before he can properly swoon him, he won't have to kill them…
Max
Max, on the other hand, was oblivious to Kol's thought process.
No, Max was still attempting to activate his phoenix side. He had been deep in meditation for a majority of the weekend, when he was not sparring with the wolves, undergoing physical training in his private gym or practicing his craft with Bonnie, Kaleb and Miss Aubrey. He had thought that, if he focussed inward more, that he could somehow find his phoenix's side from within.
Initially, he had anyways,
It became apparent that this won't work, though. It was after half a day in deep meditation that it hit him. 'Landon never activated his phoenix side through force of will. He only activated his phoenix side after dying the first time,' Max thought in realization. 'If I'm anything a similar case, which I most likely am… I'd need to die for my phoenix side to awaken.'
Max frowned, eyes opening to see Kol's inquisitive stare. "What, Kol?" Max rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Nothing," Kol smirked, eyes shining in mischief. "Just a question: What could you possibly want to access that takes this much effort, darling?"
Max ignored the Original, much to the vampire's amusement.
'I can't die just yet,' Max thought to himself. 'But I will still need some hax…'.
Getting up so suddenly, Kol watched as Max walked over to the attic shelf, pulling out his grimoire. He flipped through his personal notes, finding a blank one, he wrote his new spell on it, studying the backwards wording before putting it into verbalization.
"rewop latnahpmi dna dnim eht fo thgis larenegni—em ni yatS," Two fingers beside each eye, he began his chanting, drawing power from Logomancy. ""lortnoc fo lliw ym rednu syawla eb tub reven esaec ot etarepO,"
Kol
As Kol waited, curious what the little witch was planning now, nothing happened.
Max chanted twice more.
Nothing still.
Max did it one more time.
This time, something did occur, though not anything ideal.
Max's hands, clutching the side of his head, specifically, his eyes, screaming in pure agony, as an unknown pain seemed to come over the young witch. "Aghh" he screamed, as he double over, and Kol, worried, forgot he was a ghost, rushed forward to help the young warlock— But his hands merely passed through the boy's form.
As Max rolled around the floor in pure agony, Kol felt helpless. Unable to help and stuck in place to watch the boy suffer, Kol almost missed the sound of approaching footsteps, coming — rushing — from the floor below.
Almost.
Kol turned just in time to see Miss Aubrey, Mason, Jeremy and Kaleb burst through the attic trapdoor, rushing to Max's side.
"Young Mister Westphall!" Aubrey exclaimed, reaching Max first, even before the werewolves had somehow. She had seemed panicked and perplexed by Max's screaming and thrashing form, but she did attempt to hold Max still. Unfortunately, Max was physically too strong. "Hold him steady. I must see what wound is causing the young mister to react this way. I cannot do that with him thrashing."
The two wolves in question struggled yet eventually succeeded om pinning Max down. However it was when Max stopped struggling, removed his hands from his temple that the cold truth hit Kol like a hammer.
"Dear gods…," Miss Aubrey gasped in shocked.
"His eyes…," Kaleb murmured, practically paralyzed in shock. "They've been…."
He was too afraid to verbalize his assessment.
"Bled dried and burned," Mason wasn't.
And Kol saw exactly that plus something else: Max's heartbeat was slowing. His eye sockets were bloody dried, the eyes burnt out seemingly on their own accord — And, to top it all off, the boy wasn't moving. His heartbeat was slowing and his body wasn't moving.
Maximus Alexander Bennett-Westphall… was dying. And there was nothing Kol could do about it,