Kitty had been his constant friend, through thick and thin, riding with him from right after his mother died until the present moment. She didn’t let him down, even while they rode aimlessly through the night, in the outskirts of Millennium City, out past the suburbs, into the parks and protected lands, late at night.
Knight let her roar as he went through the winding roads of the national park, feeling the thunder between his legs, and the freedom of the wind on his face and through his hair –
Like Mal’s fingers.
His eyes welled up again, as they did on and off for the last hour. A tear escaped, to be taken by the wind as he went faster, turning the throttle as far as his wrist would go. He didn’t want Mal’s “presents.” He wanted Mal. And Scott. And Valko.
“Damn my eyes,” he snarled, lifting the motorcycle glasses for a moment and wiping at his eyes. Mal, his life, his love, his world. Scott, his true friend, honest friend, a good listener. Valko, who he wanted to protect, to be friends with, to teach and learn.
Mal was coming around. He would allow Valko – as long as he allowed Mal Thundrax. Shit, for all he knew they were probably having sex without him knowing it anyway–
The bike roared and jumped ahead, trees speeding by dangerously fast. He hunkered down on the bike, feeling its drumbeat against his body, letting it embrace him and push out all the sadness, all the anger, all the stress and frustration and fear – all that fear. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of losing his mate, the man he loved more than life itself. Always that fear.
What more could Mal do than promise not to leave? He accepted it in his head. But his heart still felt like lead.
Faster and faster, the tires squealed as he took corners, his bike so low the pipes scraped the ground.
Maybe if I go faster, my heart will fly. He opened the throttle all the way, flying down the road at 88 mph, taking a corner wide – and then he saw the car. He swerved into it, as he had been taught, and the bike fishtailed, the bike avoiding the car, but his body heading straight for it.
He felt the thump as he slammed into the grill and hood of the car, his head bouncing off the hood – and then blackness.