Chapter 19 - Chase


    Soft, warm light hit him, and suddenly, he was standing in a hallway. A burgundy hallway, filled with soothing candlelights and carpet as thick and just as lush as the rooms he had just run from. The hall branched to the left and right of him, and Brandon struggled not to dry heave into the ground as the world tried to tilt all around him.


    He was shaking. He was hurt. He couldn’t breathe.


    He had to move!


    Brandon stumbled to the left and tried to run, but he didn’t even get a chance.


    “Hey, stop!!” Suddenly, there was a hand around his wrist, and Brandon was jerked back, nearly lifted off of his feet and into a wall of warmth. “Gotcha!”


    Brandon struggled feebly to get free for a few seconds, but no matter how he turned his weak wrist, the Stranger wasn’t letting go. With an indignant jerk that threw him off balance more than the Stranger he finally looked at him.


    “Let me....” He began to bite off through his teeth, and then he just trailed off.


    The eyes. That stole the breath from him and took the words from his tongue. Two sharp blue globes slashed open with solitary bright black slits. Animal eyes. Unnatural eyes.....Beautiful eyes. And the rest of the Stranger wasn’t anything to ignore. He had a solid round chin and face, a firm mouth and a rounded nose that was a little pointed.


    He had long arms, legs and a wide torso, all of it was thick with strength. His arms were corded with lean muscle, and he had a lethe definition beneath the thin black tee that stretched over his chest and stomach. His shoulders were simple and robust, and he wore a thick pair of sweats over his hips. The material rode low on his slim lower body, the rim of his boxer showing through and giving Brandon a nice view of the man’s epic v-cut. Brandon looked away before the man thought that he was trying to look anywhere else. The strange man outstood Brandon by three good inches, so he estimated that the man was at least six feet tall. Medium-length dirty blond hair, not unlike Brandon’s, was pushed back on his scalp and behind his ears.


    The back of it just barely brushed the nape of his neck. And all while Brandon looked him over, those blue eyes did the same to him. But unlike Brandon, this Stranger didn’t look anywhere but his face.


    Brandon felt his hand in the man’s grasp and tried to pull away. “Let me....” He began, but the man cut him off.


    “Go?” The Stranger finished for him as he pulled on his wrist, and Brandon couldn’t ignore the strength in his grip. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. Besides, what are you even trying to do? You won’t get far in your current condition......” The Stranger sighed, his mesmerizing gaze shifting from Brandon’s face to his forehead, where Brandon was just beginning to feel a ticklish trickle running down his forehead and over his left cheek.


    The Stranger smiled at him, and Brandon had to catch his breath. He stepped back from the man....Was he just an ordinary man? And he tried to twist free. The man watched him, his strange slit, sharp gaze racking across his face and then suddenly softening as they settled on Brandon’s upper forehead. “Damn, you’re bleeding again.”


    The gentleness in his eyes. In his voice.....confused him. A moment ago, Brandon had been sure that this man was going to strangle him, and now the Stranger looked like he was sad about his cut? His slit eyes went from steel to soft in seconds. Did something so predatory and yet strangely beautiful really exist....or was he still dreaming?


    The Stranger touched his chin and tried to pull him closer. “Hmm. I think I can close that up myself...” He said to Brandon, his touch a shock that finally managed to wake him up.


    When Brandon felt the Stranger touch him, he raised his fist and threw it forward. The Stranger moved fast. He dropped his head back, and since he was still holding Brandon’s wrist, Brandon was thrown forward. Then he forced Brandon’s arm to bend and spun him around on his heel. With a grunt, Brandon slipped as his own arm was used as a rope. His numb side throbbed, and he fell back into the Stranger’s chest again, and the man locked him back against him. The man wrapped his arm around Brandon’s, encasing him and blocking him from raising his arms.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    “Ha! ” The blue-eyed Stranger hissed behind him. “I’ll be damned if you get a third hit on me today!”


    Confused and trapped, Brandon tried to lash out again. Using the carpet, he slammed his legs into the ground, and his shoulders slammed into the Stranger’s body, but Brandon was dismayed when the man barely stumbled.


    Shit, I can’t get him off!


    Brandon thought to himself. Then he turned his head and sunk his teeth into the Stranger''s forearm.


    Can’t use my arms....I’ll use my teeth!


    Something roared behind him.


    What the hell is that sound.....is there a wild animal around here?


    Brandon thought to himself as he began to jerk his hands and kick his legs breaking the strangers hold slightly.


    “Fuck!” The Stranger yelled, and once again, Brandon slammed his legs into the carpet and slammed his shoulders into the man’s chest.


    They toppled back. The Stranger grunted as Brandon purposefully centered his weight and his elbows so that they would dig into the Stranger’s body. His hands slipped as Brandon reared up and slammed his elbows back into his chest again. Ignoring the numb pain that was beginning to flare back up into an inferno of agony in his side, Brandon quickly snatched away from the Stranger, rolled onto his knees, and slammed his fist into his face.


    He aimed for his nose, but the Stranger shifted his face and his fist slammed into his cheek instead. Brandon recovered quickly he turned his punch into a backwards elbow and this time it connected. But his arm was week and he didn’t feel the man’s nose crunch the way he had expected, but he knew he had hurt him.


    “Goddammit!” The Stranger howled as he put a hand to his nose and reached for Brandon simultaneously. Brandon struck him across his face and rolled to his feet. His entire body felt ice cold, it moved across him in waves, goose bumps across his flesh, but he pushed it down and once more turned to run.....And tripped and fell into the carpet.


    With a pained shout, he looked down at his leg, where the Stranger had wrapped a steely hand around his ankle. “Where do you think you’re going?” He snarled into his hand that was still pressed to his face. He growled as he tightened his hold, and because Brandon was watching him this time, suddenly Brandon realized that it was him. The animal sounds the roar, the growl. This Stranger was doing it all.


    Oh God!


    Brandon panted to himself as the man suddenly jerked him across the carpet and back towards him.


    His eyes are glowing!


    And they were. The slit eyes were now surrounded by a beautiful underflow that was so light blue that Brandon could have mistaken it for them for bolts of lightning.


    That means he’s a.....


    Brandon didn’t finish that thought as the Stranger jerked on his leg again. Brandon tried to kick him off again, but the Stranger grabbed his calves and slammed his legs into the carpet; then, with a sharp pull that hurt him and also showed how strong the man was, he pulled Brandon the rest of the way back to him. With a grunt, Brandon lifted up and tried to smack him with a right, but the Stranger wasn’t having any more of it.


    He shot forward, taking the hit on the chin. He grabbed Brandon’s arms and slammed him back into the carpet again once more, letting out a hair-raising growl. “Stay Still, Dammit!”


    Suddenly the Stranger had him straddled, his large hard body, blocking out the soft candle light as he panted and continued to shackle Brandon to the ground. He shot Brandon a soft sneer. “What now? Are you gonna calm the hell down so I can....”


    Brandon glared at him and attacked. He brought his knee up and into the strangers groin area....And missed.


    The man was forced to release him. Brandon shot up and hit him in the chin with his palm, then he rose up on his forearm and kicked out, striking the Stranger in the chest once more, and with a frustrated snarl, the man fell back onto his butt.


    His nonexistent strength fading fast, Brandon bit back a smile. Something in him was delighted by the man chasing him. He didn’t know why, but the murderous look of determination to capture him on the strangers face just kind of warmed him. It also struck him with terror as alien and slit eyes glared back at him. Something inside of them tracking his every single move. Beastly. Brandon turned and scrambled to his feet, and ignoring his trembling legs and burning body


    He shot off. He ran as hard as he could and screamed in frustration when he stumbled down the hall and something inside told him that he was almost out. He hit the corner and there, just a few more feet he saw the top of a landing. Leading where?


    He didn’t know he just knew that he had to reach it. And he never did.


    Brandon felt large hands turn him and shove him backwards.


    “Let me go! LET ME GO!” Brandon screamed in frustration as he was suddenly flung around he wanted to kick out, but the blue eyes of the Stranger were taking his breath away all over again as the snarl of a beast filled the unfamiliar hall and hands like steel locked him against the wall.