《(BL) Tales of a Shifter (P1) - The Meeting》


 Chapter 1 - His End

    CHAPTER 1 - His End


    (The gossamer moon was the only sentinel to witness our tenuous beginnings.)


    -Unknown


    Brandon burst past a clump of trees, racing deep into the woods.


    A fine mist of droplets fell from the pine needles overhead, down into his dirty blond hair. The water saturated him. Plastering the few dry strands left down onto his scalp, forehead, and temples. His wet clothes clung to him and made his thin cheeks and dark-rimmed eyes seem all the more devastating.


    Brandon whipped away a cool droplet from his skin, fighting not to shiver and failing miserably. ¡°Damn forest! It¡¯s freezing!!.¡± He panted shallowly as he moved forward and asked himself. ¡°Where the hell am I anyway!?¡±


    Brandon pushed through another water-soaked pine branch and gritted his teeth as the cold dew drenched him once more. His soggy ashy blue jeans and thin black t-shirt gripped his flesh with a sharp bite.


    Clingy and cold like ice. While his shoes were soggy, rotten, and two days from falling off his feet completely.


    Shaking away the cold he tried to motivate himself.


    ¡°Keep going Brandon...Don¡¯t think, just move your feet. Move...just a little more...¡± Brandon whispered to himself. Egging himself on raspy and weak. Still, he knew that he had to keep moving.


    The crunch of the pine needles beneath his rapid, stumbling steps, were muffled by the trees all around him. They blotted out the expanse of the sky, only allowing Brandon disconcerting hints of stars, clouds, and some small silvery shafts of moonlight; that far from illuminated his way deeper into the darkness.


    Unluckily more often than not Brandon found himself running full on into one tree after another. But if someone had asked him, he would have been hard-pressed to choose between the lack of light or the giant hole in his side that was causing him to traverse the darkness in a drunken, painful slump.


    Brandon slipped, his heavy feet knocking each other turning his stumble into a full-on face plant into the soil, but at the last moment, Brandon raised his hands from his stomach and snatched at the tree beside him. His nails scratched into the bark. Chips and splinters shoved themselves underneath his nails, releasing the heavy scent of pine and sap.....and blood.


    Biting his lip as the pain subsided, Brandon tried to catch his breath. He slowly came around to look at his throbbing fingertips.


    In the sad light of the moon, Brandon looked at his hands for the first time in hours.


    Ignoring the stiff sting of wood under his nails, he stared grimly at his blood-soaked fingers and forearms and then sighed. Brandon knew without looking at the rest of himself that his entire lower shirt and right pants leg were drenched in coppery fresh blood. His blood. And he also knew that there was enough blood in the soil behind him that it should have killed him by now.


    Surely he was already dying.


    Fresh blood painted his hand, his stomach, it dripped steadily from the cuff of his right pants legs down into the scrub beneath him. Gleaming like bright red paint there was even a thin trickle of blood running from his cheek and lips where distinct gashes and a large painful bruise were just beginning to take purplish black definition.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Brandon stared at his blood covered appendages a moment or two longer trying to gather the strength, no. The Will to move.


    ¡°Oh come on!¡± He whispered fiercely to himself. ¡°Pick up your feet! Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    Brandon leaned awkwardly on that tree. Which was honestly the only thing keeping him on his bone tired feet and tried to ignore the blood that gushed out of the wound in his side every single time that he took a breath.


    With every little wave of watery warmth that flowed down his hips, to further drench his pants, Brandon grew groggier, weaker.


    But with every scrap of power still left in his body, he refused to pass out. Even as the fatigue of his journey slammed into his lungs and made his knees shake.


    I won¡¯t stop....I can¡¯t...


    He told himself.


    But deeper than that he was afraid to stop.


    Brandon¡¯s raised his head and slammed his fist into the trunk savagely. And welcomed the pain that came with that. Determination and sorrow warred there in his groggy green eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± he whispered angrily to himself, barely having the strength to move his lips. ¡°You are not going to make this easy for them! If this is the night that they finally catch up to you Brandon....By god, you¡¯re going to make the bastards work for it!¡± He lectured himself raising his head, to glare into the darkness before him; as though his enemies¡¯ were there in the shadows, not somewhere behind him, chasing him.


    Like rabid dogs after a newborn fawn.


    Pick up your feet and MOVE!!!!


    He shouted inwardly. And somehow he did move.


    Brandon groaned as he dropped his bloody arms back to his sides and forced his tired legs to bend.


    He couldn¡¯t help but shiver as more blood gushed out of the gaping hole in his side to splash across his hip. That terrible feeling made him want to throw up. A continuous sickly warm flow on his legs as the blood fled his veins.


    Somehow feeling cold and numb all at once Brandon took one step, then another. The time fell away as he kept moving forward. Soon he was melding with the darkness even as his skin paled more and more in the scant moonlight.


    ***


    Sadly Brandon realized he wasn¡¯t going to get very far get far before they came upon him.


    It began with the rustle in the trees then along the pine needled path he had at his back. Then the sound of a hunter, deep and vicious, a growl that rose every hair on his neck. This growl was strange to his ears, but in his state of anemia and exhaustion, Brandon couldn¡¯t be bothered to wonder exactly why that was.


    Of course, at this sound, Brandon tried to flee, further into the trees. But Brandon stumbled into three more trees before he finally had to still his footsteps or risk falling to the ground for good. His head swam with pain and confusion. But even with his mind befuddled he knew a few select things. A few important things.


    He knew he was lost. He knew he was dying. And he knew that it was there with him now, only awaiting its chance to pounce. Well and truly unsurprised that this was going to be his final night of living, Brandon chuckled weakly, coughed, and got ready to make his last pathetic stand.


    Gritting his teeth against the new gush of blood and pain that flowed out of his body following his movement. Brandon reached around to the center of his back and gripped the handle of a dagger.


    It was a simple weapon, with a jet-black handle and a blade as long as his palm and as sharp as any good blade could be.


    It sat sheathed just beneath his shirt and thrust through his leather belt so he could pull it when he needed it. Grabbing for it, but he refrains from brandishing it, he turned slowly. Using the pine tree at his shoulder as a crutch he took a pathetic stance more leaning than standing and glanced out into the now eerily silent forest.


    With his back up against the tree Brandon scanned the night with green eyes too dulled by pain to reflect anything but exhaustion and...Acceptance. He held his place there at the tree, panting, bleeding out, praying that this would be it, and waiting for the monster to descend and devour him.


    Somehow taking a deep breath he screamed. ¡°Come on!! Show yourself! You hear me! IM NEVER GOING BACK TO HIM!!!!¡±


    Brandon gripped the dagger tighter as another growl cascaded on the night, bouncing off the tree trunks, encasing him, and pounding on his ears, and waited for his end.

 Chapter 2 - New Smell

    Chapter 2- New Smell


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t know what exactly called him off the beaten path that night....but on instinct, he had followed the soft breeze of the night. Now he stood and watched the mortal below him from the tree branches high above the intruder''s oblivious head.


    So close that he could smell nothing but thick coppery blood.


    It drenched the air, it bleed across Ezekiel¡¯s senses, tickling the beast inside of him. It growled dangerously coming awake in moments as if jolted from its rest.


    So strange. It was a curious scent, blood....and something else, laced along with it. It overpowered the smell of pine that had always been a part of his Clans forests.


    The smell of a mortal was alien to him in and of itself.


    Ezekiel had never actually met one in person before. Of course he had been told all kinds of things, much of which he had quickly tossed right back out of his brain before it could take root.


    Many Shifter¡¯s not only wanted to stay far away from mortals, but a lot of them feared their sapien partners. His people seemed to mistrust their weapons, and their influence, but many Shifters just disliked their massive numbers.


    Unlike any of the seven Shifter Clans around the world, it was well known that mortals rarely suffered from things like infertility. In fact, Ezekiel had even heard it told that the mortals had so many children that many of them were discarded by their parents or sold into slavery, or wiped out of the womb completely.


    But this blood, almost burned slightly as Ezekiel inhaled it. It was strong.....it was new.


    He took another inhale. A deep rumble bubbled up into the darkness. The beast within him was disturbed by the smell and yet compelled to pull it in.


    It was like pepper was being drug deep into his nose, but beneath the strange pinch, there was something, warm? Something...intriguing. Ezekiel knew that he needed to run this stranger off for good.


    That he needed to chase the Mortal off Clan Lands and go back to patrolling the woods the same as he had every night, but instead Ezekiel found himself stuck in the trees, clocking the unwitting mortal with his senses.


    In the back of his mind, he heard the anxious growls of his companion, his Shifter.


    The beast inside, the big cat was more than disturbed by the mortals'' presence and sharp scent.


    The claws of its consciousness dug at Ezekiel''s mind, his soul. Begging, asking, and insistent to be released. It wanted to investigate, to hunt, to get closer, and Ezekiel wanted it too.


    He soothed the companion inside of his chest, calming its energy, but still, the air filled with the warm pop of the Shift. Small aspects of his inner beast bled through, merging with his mortal form, mixing them.


    Ezekiel soft blue eyes, and black pupils, contracted sharply, slitting into the eyes of a beast....a cat.


    And Ezekiel knew that his irises would be shining now, an iridescent bright blue light would now be lent to his gaze by the Shifter inside, that turned his soft blue gaze into twin globes of light.


    The blue in them was far too pale to be called sky blue. To him it was more like the hot flash of lightning in a storm. While his nails began to lengthen. Growing by inches. Which was an unpleasant tug, following the energy he released until his nails were sharp claws, more than capable of ripping a man limb from limb.


    His teeth also grew and, much like his nails, this was accompanied by an unpleasant tugging sensation as his mortal canines, extended into fangs worthy of any hunter.


    With the Shifter sense pouring into him, energizing him, sharpening his reflexes, eyesight, smell, and taste all at once; Ezekiel once more took a deep inhale of the air. With a soft inhuman growl, he started testing it for information. The essence of another scent could tell him so many things.


    The smell could reveal how his prey was feeling. If they were sick. Where they had been. Even what items they were possibly carrying on them.


    So Ezekiel opened his mouth and pulled in the air; parting his lisp slightly so that the scents could saturate his tongue and throat. And instantly wished that he hadn¡¯t!You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Ezekiel gagged hard as the smell of sour puss and sickly pungent rot coated the back of his throat.


    Infection....a terrible infection...


    Ezekiel thought to himself as he took another breath.


    This mortal....is very sick. How did he manage to get here in that state?


    Ezekiel shook his head.


    He¡¯ll be dead soon...


    Ezekiel realized as he looked down on the muttering mortal.


    Not only could Ezekiel smell the blood, but his feral eyes saw the way the intruders'' bloody clothing stuck to his frail shivering body.


    He could smell blood coating the air like a mountain of pepper and copper.


    The tastes of it on his palate was so warm, that it burned Ezekiel¡¯s nose.


    But.....oddly he didn¡¯t turn and leave. He couldn¡¯t...he couldn¡¯t turn away.


    He.....wanted to speak to the mortal all of a sudden. He wanted to investigate.....he wanted to smell more of this strange, yet somehow good smell.


    He wanted to meet this being that he knew nothing about. He....wanted to help it.


    But mortals aren¡¯t supposed to be here....


    Ezekiel had to remind himself. Then he looked down at the intruder again. The mortal was screaming something, his voice so dry and broken that it made Ezekiel cringe.


    Still... it¡¯s sick. If I leave now.....?


    There was so much blood. And now Ezekiel was torn. Did one run an injured and dying mortal away? Or did he help it?


    Unexpectedly the choice was made for him as the mortal suddenly broke off from his mad rants and slumped over in a huddle against the pine tree.


    Liquid coughs, and sounds that Ezekiel had never known before began to come out of the intruder below him. Sounds like that.....hurt him to hear. Like sobs.....like soft screams. Like pure agony.


    And before he knew it Ezekiel was going down.


    But remaining cautious, Ezekiel hissed down at the intruder to get his attention first.


    Possibly startled by the sound, the Mortal screamed and jerked up his head and Ezekiel couldn¡¯t help chuckling darkly as the stranger jumped nearly out of his skin.


    Ezekiel could sense the mortal fighting to find the voice that taunted him in the darkness. But knowing that he was hidden from view, Ezekiel looked over the mortal form above. He couldn¡¯t see much from his angle. Just the top of the mortal mans head. Its hair was light golden and brown and soaking wet.


    Simple pants and a shirt also soaking wet. And bright, giant blood stains...all over. But more important than all of that Ezekiel couldn¡¯t see anything on the intruder that he could use as a weapon.


    No sheathes. No bulges in his pockets. But Ezekiel knew that that didn¡¯t exactly mean that the intruder didn¡¯t have any hidden blades on him.


    I¡¯ve got to take this slow....just in case...


    He told himself, then he moved in.


    Ezekiel stalked along the branches over the mortals oblivious head; toeing the wood beneath his feet. His movements were graceful, smooth, and confident. Because of the beast inside, Ezekiel never feared falling. He trusted the beast, his inner cat to lead him safely; to navigate the darkness for its mortal counterpart.


    Quickly Ezekiel lept from the tree without any hesitation.


    Like fluid, he fell to the forest floor ten feet below, until he felt the shock of spongey needles underneath his feet. Ezekiel then let gravity pull him down into a crouch, as he came to a stop, and then he listened for the mortal¡¯s response.


    Ezekiel had landed only a few feet away from him, but the mortal didn¡¯t seem to notice him yet. Ezekiel had heard that mortals couldn¡¯t see well in dim light. Nor did it seem like they could smell the way his people did.


    Any Shifter would have smelled him by now, but this stranger remained slumped over by the tree. Making that horrible noise.....smelling so....different from anything Ezekiel had ever known.


    Suddenly the mortal spoke. ¡°Please.....please just stop....¡± The intruder sobbed into the shoulder of the pine tree holding him up. His face was still a mystery to Ezekiel as the mortal had it turned into the dark shadows of the night, and his dirty, wet hair was obscuring his face. But his voice was shaky, breathless....and scared.


    Ezekiel straitened to his feet, silently watching the intruder for any signs of agitation as he took one cautious step and then another step forward and as he moved Ezekiel tried to speak to the strange person.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Ezekiel said softly to the mortal and was rewarded with a terrified shout as the mortal jerked his head up.


    Ezekiel paused for a moment as the mortal seemed to finally notice him there in the darkness.


    Still Ezekiel couldn¡¯t really see his face, but their eyes did meet. Mint green. And Shadows. That¡¯s what he saw. Eyes so green that they should have been glowing. Eyes so lost that they took one look at Ezekiel and darkened with....deep distress.


    They looked at each other for only a few seconds before the mortal made a soft broken sound and scrambled back into the tree even more.


    He was holding his side...Ezekiel could see. He could also see the blood rushing Instantly Ezekiel got hit with another sharp jab of his scent. Puss, dirt, and blood...a lot of strange blood. ¡°Hey, what happened to you?¡± he asked as he took another step closer. ¡°Whats wrong?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± the intruder abruptly moaned. ¡°I won¡¯t!!!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t?¡± Ezekiel asked him. Confused by this mortals erratic behavior. ¡°You won¡¯t what? Hey, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go....¡± The intruder simply whispered. ¡°I wont.¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head.


    Did all mortals behave this way?


    Ezekiel asked himself as he moved closer.


    Or is he acting this way because of the pain he¡¯s in?


    But somewhere along the way Ezekiel had made a terrible mistake....


    He had dropped his guard and entered the mortal¡¯s personal space.


    Purely on instinct Ezekiel shifted his weight to the side just as the blow hit.


    The intruders'' shin cracked into his right thigh with more force and power than Ezekiel would have thought was possible. The precision made it had to deflect the strike without pain. Ezekiel stumbled back, as he blocked the groin shot. But he didn¡¯t get the chance to be happy about it before he looked up and saw a glinting blade coming down angled at his heart!

 Chapter 3 - Sweet Death

    Chapter 3 - Death


    With a snarl, more beast then man, Ezekiel charged into the mortal.


    He clamped his hands around the mortal¡¯s smaller right wrist that was holding the blade, and slammed him back fully into the tree beside them.


    The mortal screamed in agony, and Ezekiel smelled more blood rush into the air, but the mortal wasn¡¯t done in by Ezekiel¡¯s attack.


    A fist, small, and hard cracked into the side of his head. Once, then twice.


    Ezekiel tottered to the side as blood blossomed inside his cheek and his hold on the mortal slipped. And then the mortal started to rush him.


    Ezekiel quickly retreated. With his hands out to his sides, and his knees bent he stepped back as the mortal ran at him.


    The intruder slashed the blade back and forth. He knew what he was doing with the blade Ezekiel soon realized as he looked for an opening and failed to find one for the first few seconds.


    Close and centered to the body. The mortal held himself in a tight ball of rage and precision. And Ezekiel didn¡¯t want to risk tackling him and getting cut. But there was something. The blood. The more that the mortal moved, the more that the blood on his side ad pants began to deepen. Fresh blood soaked his body and still he kept going.


    Ezekiel found himself getting increasingly upset as they continued to move around each other.


    The mortal was going to make himself bleed to death.


    Abruptly between a strait thrust of his blade, that had Ezekiel jumping back too keep from getting disemboweled, the mortal stumbled over his own feet.


    Ezekiel saw the hiccup and shot back in.


    He slugged the mortal in the jaw and even though Ezekiel pulled the blow, the intruder promptly crumpled onto the pine needles in front of Ezekiel and didn¡¯t move again.


    Slightly guilt-stricken. Ezekiel stared down at the mortal.


    Shit.....did I kill him that easily!? He asked himself as he dropped his fists and stood up straight.


    Panting Ezekiel didn¡¯t waste one moment, he crouched down next to the mortal and tried to feel his pulse and that¡¯s when the mortal hit him with the blade. With a broken scream, the mortal sat up startling Ezekiel with the sudden move.


    Flashing in the moon, the mortal turned and slammed the blade deep into his chest. So close and so deep by his heart that Ezekiel swore that he felt the cold metal brush against it. And then, before Ezekiel could recover his wits ,the blade was ripped back out and the mortal cocked back to drive it into him once more....


    ***


    Ezekiel roared.


    No!


    The beast inside of him roared out in rage.


    Energy flooded his body, pushing the pain back for a moment, allowing Ezekiel to snap his body back. He dropped out of the blade''s way, back onto his hands, and then he raised his leg and slammed it down into the mortal¡¯s stomach and ribs. And this time he didn¡¯t hold anything back.


    The mortal screamed in true agony.


    A sound that made Ezekiel hate himself a little bit came out of his bruised mouth, as the mortal dropped the blade into the soil. Then the mortal rolled over onto his stomach and tried to crawl away, coughing and hacking for air.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, just stop it already!!¡± Ezekiel found himself snarling as he scrambled across the earth and struggled with the mortal once more. ¡°Calm down.¡± The Shifter in him growled as the mortal elbowed him in the cheek.


    Finally fed up, Ezekiel grabbed the man''s wet clothes and flipped the man over and turned him onto his back. Then he had to straddle the intruder to keep him still and to negate any kicks he tried to deliver. But the mortal kept right on fighting him.


    The mortal screamed some more, his green eyes wide, but unseeing. His panic and pain and blood were all like a blanket around them. It was suffocating. The mortal kept kicking and punching. Fighting for his life. Tears ran down his cheeks.


    ¡°Dammit! Stop! Clam down.¡± Ezekiel¡¯s hand closed around the man¡¯s throat like iron.


    The mortal went still beneath him for a second. Then the intruder clawed at his hand, gasping for air, then choking on a wordless sob as he found that he couldn¡¯t pull Ezekiel¡¯s fingers away.


    It was a horrible sound. His fear was impossible to ignore. His struggles so weak now compared to his earlier more aggressive movements that Ezekiel wanted to lessen the strength of his hold. ¡°Just calm down. I dont want to hurt you.... ¡± he said softly looking away from the intruder and over to his shoulder.


    A sharp pain shot out of his chest and shoulder feeling like fire from the knife wound , but even though the wound enraged Ezekiel and caused him considerable agony, something kept Ezekiel from actually breaking the intruder¡¯s throat right then in retaliation.


    Something about his eyes. His smell.


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t want to give the mortal the chance to attack him again, but the mortal made another wet gurgle, and somehow Ezekiel found himself releasing the mortal abruptly.


    Then Ezekiel put a hand to his chin and held his face steady so he could get his first clear look. The darkness still kept him from really putting a face to this strange man , but his eyes stood out in that mask of dirt, made of blood and pain.


    Mint green eyes opened and closed as the mortal hacked, his voice was light but hoarse. And for the moment the mortal was docile beneath him. Ezekiel tried to let him catch his breath before he began interrogating him, but the mortal had other plans.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you here!? Why¡¯d you attack me!?¡± Ezekiel soon hissed at the mortal staring him in the eyes.


    Ezekiel could see that his skin, beneath the dirt, was pale and his body was shaking. Ezekiel felt it, against his legs. He felt the warmth too. Blood, flowing out of the mortal¡¯s side, coating his inner right pants leg. Soaking in a big crimson circle that worried Ezekiel.


    The smell of it pinched his nose still. So strange to him. He¡¯d never smelled such a smell before. The mortal didn¡¯t respond to him, but Ezekiel could feel his strength flowing away as the mortal kept blinking and watching him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked the mortal again softer, his throat clogged with the scent of the man. The mortal¡¯s eyes moved along Ezekiel¡¯s face, then his jaw and then back to his eyes. His eyes lids fluttered closed then opened again slowly.


    Is he going to pass out? He doesn¡¯t seem lucid.


    The mortal gazed up at him for a few long moments not speaking, or moving and Ezekiel let him. Then suddenly Ezekiel had his wet bloody hands on his face. Staining his cheeks. Ezekiel would have jerked back, but the strange man¡¯s hands were gentle as they slide past his cheeks and ears and up into his scalp and stopped there. Ezekiel swallowed as he had the strangest urge to lean back into the touch. A quiver traced his belly and spine.


    Then the man was pulling on the back of Ezekiel¡¯s head. Forcing him down.


    Until they were nearly nose to nose. The mortal looked him right in the eyes and said simply ¡°Finally come to claim me...take me away? Its funny that you¡¯re beautiful.¡± He whispered, his voice wrecked with exhaustion, but strong and enchanting. ¡°I thought Death was supposed to be ugly, but your breathtaking...why did you take so long? I want to go¡­.Im so tired¡­.¡±


    Cloudy green eyes drooped and then the mortal leaned in even more. His eyes closed and shockingly Ezekiel felt something soft and warm brush against his lips. A thrum of excitement and shock took Ezekiel¡¯s breath and senses away as the man kissed him softly, then hard. Desperate and weak, a sob clashed between them as the man suddenly ran his tongue past Ezekiel''s frozen lips. Confusion took hold, but nothing was confusing about the deep wave of satisfaction that crashed over Ezekiel¡¯s inner beast when the stranger''s taste registered on his tongue. His senses scattered as his inner beast mewled in delight, something cold lit up in him like his soul had been brushed with sunlight for the first time and a moan bubbled past his lips as he felt the creature inside of him pull the stranger closer, clambering against his body, pushing Ezekiel to deepen the kiss. On instinct his arm wrapped around the man he was frail like a bird but he felt so¡­.


    What the hell am I doing!


    Ezekiel jerked back in surprise, his senses returned, and the mortal¡¯s hands fell off of him. They landed on the earth next to the mortal, who had in fact passed out.

 Chapter 4 - Mercy

    Chapter 4- Taking Stock


    ¡°Well....What do I do with you now?¡± Ezekiel asked himself.


    In the deathly silent moments that passed after the mortal fell unconscious, this was the only question, out of the other hundred buzzing around in his head; which Ezekiel most desperately wanted to find an answer to. Feeling somewhat unbalanced by the slight tingles dancing from where the man had stolen the kiss. Ezekiel wiped at his mouth and shook his head.


    Still leaning over the mortal on the ground, Ezekiel felt harsh twinges of pain lance down his arm and across his collar. Reminding him that he had just in fact survived a deadly blow. Ezekiel took a moment to reassure himself that the stranger wasn¡¯t going to jump up and stab him again.


    Calling on the beast inside him, he felt warm energy flowing out of his core and into his eyes. With a slight sting, Ezekiel then felt his eyes slit, taking on the shape of a cat''s gaze. With soft moves he swept his hands across the stranger¡¯s hips and ankles, searching for more blades. With the beast inside lending him its sight, the darkness melted away and for the most part, Ezekiel could see as though the sun was sitting overhead. But even with his sight improved he quickly came up empty.


    He didn¡¯t discover any other hidden blades, but he did find a pair of gloves stuffed into the mortal''s back pocket. As dark as the night sky and made from supple leather, Ezekiel took a moment to inspect the gloves, but like the rest of the mortals, they were empty. Ezekiel slipped the gloves into his back pocket and sighed.


    Who are you?


    Ezekiel said to himself shaking his head. Even though his search had been brief, Ezekiel hadn¡¯t been able to find one scrap of information on the intruder that would have pointed to the man¡¯s identity.


    Yet his search had given Ezekiel some things to think about.


    Like the fact that every inch of the mortal''s stomach and legs were covered in his odd-smelling blood. His clothes were also sickly warm to Ezekiel¡¯s touch, and Ezekiel could feel more of the warm fluid staining his own pants as he continued to look over the mortal; which told him that the mortal had been bleeding for a long time. Heavily.


    As Ezekiel searched the mortal over for signs of injuries. He soon realized that the blood was coming out of his side. Without hesitation, Ezekiel shimmed back on his knees and slowly peeled the mortals blood-soaked shirt up so that he could see the wound.


    A milky, pussy, glob of flesh, and stench were all he could make out though. The hole in the man¡¯s side was a fevered red shade of irritation and it stunk of sour rot.


    With a gag, Ezekiel closed his eyes and let the mans shirt fall back over the disturbing sight.


    Ugh! That¡¯s not a cut.....a piece of his fucking body is just gone!


    Ezekiel thought.


    Something must have eviscerated him......How the hell is he still alive....!?


    Ezekiel gagged on the smell once more as he opened his eyes and tilted his head trying to listen for a sign that the mortal was actually still alive. His breathing was nearly nonexistent....but his heart was a whisper to his senses. Ezekiel strained his ears for some sign of life.


    ¡°HOHOHO!!¡± With a robust hoot of victory, an owl tore across the canopy overhead. Breaking the silence abruptly.


    Ezekiel shook off the needles that fell from the trees. And with his concentration destroyed, Ezekiel tried again.


    Putting a hand to the mortal¡¯s mud-stained throat, as he leaned down to his chest, Ezekiel slowly let the beast inside fill him up and alter his hearing. He tuned its senses into the silence. Cutting out the shifting winds and pines above, as well as the harsh, excited chirp of the crickets below. And still....he didn¡¯t hear anything.


    Normally the beast inside would have picked up the mortals heartbeat from across the clearing, but his breathing and his heartbeat had vanished.


    Long seconds passed and still, there was nothing. Ezekiel found himself with his ear pressed right over the stranger¡¯s heart.


    Come on.....


    Confused as to why it mattered to him at all that the mortal didn¡¯t die, Ezekiel just listened harder. As though that would make the mortal take a breath.


    Come on...!


    Ezekiel found himself urging the stranger to breathe even as he held his own breath to escape the smell of the rot on the mortals clothes, but even with his ear on the mortals chest, there was nothing there.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    No shallow breaths....no heartbeat. The mortal was gone.


    Ezekiel felt something cold brush his heart....as if he had just been thrust into the underworld. And he didn¡¯t know why. His mind shifted into stark dread he couldn¡¯t overcome initially.


    And then there was a tiny thump. And then a few seconds later....a second thump. A weak heartbeat.


    Releasing a harsh breath, Ezekiel pulled back. The cold dread ripping deep into his soul dissipated.


    He¡¯s alive...just barely...but seriously what do I do with him, now?


    Coming to a decision that the mortal wasn¡¯t capable of moving, much less attacking in his current sorry state Ezekiel decided to move off a ways and inspect the wounds that he had sustained earlier. And to think.


    With a painful hiss, Ezekiel lowered himself into the pine needles beside the mortal and inspected his shoulder.


    Ezekiel quickly lifted up his shirt, biting back another painful hiss as he watched the blood flowing down his right peck from a giant, bloody gash two spaces to the left of his heart. The wound in his shoulder was clean and at least a few inches deep.


    As Ezekiel inspected it with his slit eyes in the darkness a small chill raced down his spine as he realized something.


    Just a few more centimeters to the right....and with a little bit more strength....he would have killed me.


    Ezekiel told himself.


    As a Shifter....Ezekiel and anyone like him benefited from the power of the beast within. It was very hard to kill one of his people or imprison them. Most cuts would heal over a long period...and silver was actually the only metal that weakened a Shifters strength enough to hold them.


    Even as Ezekiel watched the blood, he began to see signs of his body working to heal.


    A soft trickle of warm energy was seeping into the area. The beast inside lent him its energy, speeding up the process. All Shifters healed in this way and Ezekiel was assured as he watched the knife wound knitting up; that the pain would soon be gone.


    Slowly dropping his shirt back down Ezekiel climbed to his feet and began to pace beside the stranger.


    Ezekiel tried to keep his wits about him in the next few second but he was so terribly out of his depts. And he knew it. The stranger was dying. Every second that passed, every thought that passed his mind, was another waste......or was it a blessing?


    Did this strange-smelling, green-eyed, violent stranger deserve to just slip away into the darkness? He could be a cold blooded murderer, or a thief for all Ezekiel knew. He was obviously dangerous and quite possibly insane.


    Or was he just an unfortunate stranger who could die if Ezekiel didn¡¯t make up his mind?


    Ezekiel knew what he needed to do to save the stranger.....but was it the right thing to do?


    He knew he could take the stranger to the healer in his village, but by doing that Ezekiel would be sticking his neck out....and for what?


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t have to help the stranger. He could choose to walk away right now and save himself a headache..... Or he could also chose to save a life.


    The answer seemed so simple to him....but he hesitated.


    For a very long time Ezekiel had been taught not to hate mortals and outsiders, but to distrust them fiercely. To be weary of them if one of them ever came into their Lands. And he had been taught that the Clan Lands were a Statuary. A place for his kind, where Mortals choose seldom to venture and Shifters seldom offered them an invitation.


    It wasn¡¯t a hatred for outsiders that Ezekiel knew. And it was also not a deep-rooted dislike.


    It seemed to be a tradition of separation, that for all Ezekiel could see was amicable for both races. And Ezekiel believed that all the other Seven Shifter Clans operated under this same tradition of separation from each other and from Mortals as well.


    Who was Ezekiel to break this unspoken rule?


    Then again.....Ezekiel was hardly known for his traditional.....or normal behavior as it applied to Shifters.


    He was often the one to do what was in his mind and heart to do. No matter how risky, or dangerous or embarrassing. IT wasn¡¯t a conscious choice on his part either. He just did as he willed himself to do. Not as a tradition dictated.


    He liked going down the rocky, dangerous paths Life was for the livivng after all. But the path that he was on now....the choice that he needed to make........wouldn¡¯t just affect him.


    Suddenly a beastly song broke the silence of the night. A three-part chorus of Cat-like snarls, and one forlorn howl beckoned to him. Instantly Ezekiel recognized that chorus and somewhere deep inside his gut cramped.


    ¡°Dammit.....I missed the check point!¡±


    Ezekiel groaned to himself as he realized that his brothers would now be searching for him.


    And from the sound of it , they had already been looking for him and were extremely anxious to find him.


    Great!


    Ezekiel hissed in expiration as he walked over to the mortal and went to pick him up, then he stopped and stepped back again. Impatient with himself he put a hand in his hair and bit the inside of his cheek.


    This path.....was possibly going to end in disaster. He knew that.


    But really did he have a choice now?


    He was the one who had gone to investigate the noises. He was the one who had found the stranger. He was the one who had talked to him. He was the one who had wanted to help......he was the one who had just gotten kissed.


    A three part chorus of Cat like snarls, and a forlorn howl of a wolf beckoned to him once more. Searching for him, demanding his response, and promising retribution to anyone that was not supposed to be there.


    With a groan, Ezekiel slapped his head down into his hands. Then giving up on fighting the inevitable, he raised his head, and let out a harsh roar. The air vibrated with his voice alerting his siblings to his exact whereabouts.


    Silence came after his call and then one solitary howl danced on the wind, and Ezekiel knew that they were coming his way.


    Decision made.


    Ezekiel went to the mortal, bent down and scooped him up from the ground. The mortal was even lighter than he thought, causing Ezekiel a moment of shock as he settled the stranger in front of him. Ezekiel tried to ignore the sharp tang of his blood as the mortal¡¯s wet clothing squished between them.


    A bloody bag of bones.....you won¡¯t last the night if I don¡¯t do something huh?


    Ezekiel said to himself.


    ¡°But did you have to wander into THIS forest?¡±


    Ezekiel asked the stranger who of course didn¡¯t respond.


    Realizing that he was stalling, Ezekiel, pulled the mortal tighter to his chest and started walking towards the village. And towards his brothers.

 Chapter 5 - Brothers

    Chapter 5 - Brothers


    Ezekiel could sense the eyes within the darkness as he neared the path that would take him out of the pine forest and into the perimeter of his home.


    Glaring, calculating, and questioning, they burned into him, but more than him Ezekiel felt these eyes focused on his arms.


    Looking at the stranger that he bore like a broken, bloody, sack nestled against his chest.


    Ezekiel let the power of his beast take over and felt the power bleed into his eyes. He felt his pupils shrink sharply, until darkness became more like light. Shadows gave way to him and there, not ten feet from him, Ezekiel could make out the shadows of three, very large, very animalistic outlines.


    Ezekiel blinked slowly, then looked down at the stranger in his hands. ¡°So....¡± He began talking to the new arrivals. But he didn¡¯t use words to speak. No. He growled, hissed and roared out his sentences. Speaking the language of the Shifter inside of him. ¡°So I guess I need to explain this?¡±


    A soft growl rolled off  all three of the shadows. And too Ezekiel, the growls and hisses that followed were as easy for him to understand as a spoken word.


    ¡°We came when we heard you call.¡± A voice snarled out of the darkness. The shadows of his brothers moved towards him from the pine woods. ¡°We were concerned when you didn¡¯t meet up for the Checkpoint, but now I know why. What have you done Ezekiel?¡±


    At this question, Ezekiel felt a chill of worry nip him in the stomach. As his brothers snarled and howled and barked at him he knew that they were angry. But even though Ezekiel couldn¡¯t see their forms clearly, he didn¡¯t feel the need to retreat. These animals were his brothers, after all, he had no reason to fear them.


    ¡°What is THAT mortal doing here!?¡± The middle shadow snarled again. It was a deep familiar growl. His eldest brother Walter was speaking. ¡°I thought that you understood the rules!¡± he said.


    ¡°I do understand the rules!¡± Ezekiel hissed back. ¡°I know that we aren¡¯t supposed to let outsiders in. But I swear! I ran into this mortal out there in the woods. He¡¯s sickly Walter.¡± Ezekiel shook his head, to shake away the guilt of lying, but he didn¡¯t dare tell his brothers the whole truth about his run-in with the stranger. ¡°I thought that we could take him into the village...?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± A new voice growled, cutting Ezekiel off. This voice was just a familiar to him as the others, but this voice belonged to none other than his second eldest brother Lander. ¡°Outsiders don¡¯t belong here Ezekiel!!! You know that! What exactly are you trying to do!? Why cant you listen to the rules like everyone else!?¡± Lander roared at him from across the clearing.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to help! He¡¯s hurt!!¡± Ezekiel snarled back at them all. His throat shifted into an octave that no mortal could ever reach. ¡°I had to.....¡±


    ¡°You had to disobey the rules!?¡± Lander roared over him. ¡°You had to go against the norm? You had to find some way to upset everyone. Once again!?¡± Lander growled again once more cutting him short. ¡°Is that it? Is it so hard for you to stay out of trouble!? Lord knows you and your hot head have made things hard enough!¡±


    Ezekiel snarled back in frustration.


    ¡°This is different!!¡± He barked at his Brothers. And somewhere deep inside he realized that he was telling the truth. This was different than the normal stunts that he pulled. Somehow....it just seemed important that he help the stranger. But Ezekiel shook that feeling off. He remained himself that he was just trying to do the right thing. This had nothing to do with him, his temper... his sickness!


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious with this Ezekiel. We can¡¯t take a mortal into the village. It would cause an uproar!¡± The third shadow said. This snarling voice belonged to his third eldest brother Nate and it was a much calmer growl compared to the others.


    ¡°Come on guys.¡± Ezekiel found himself begging slightly. The weight and smell of the bloody mortal in his arm helped to dull some of the sting to his pride. The blood wouldn¡¯t stop...It was slow and judging by the cadence deadly, but soaking into his shirt....making him anxious. ¡°It¡¯s one little mortal. What harm can it be for us to take him into the village?¡± Ezekiel challenged his siblings.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Nate snarled softly. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a mortal on these lands for over three hundred seasons. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever really known one to get this far inside of the Clan Lands.¡±


    ¡°Well this one is here....and I want to help it,¡± Ezekiel told them with a clipped growl.


    Silence followed and Ezekiel tried not to shift from foot to foot in open impatience. He had to move. But Ezekiel knew that his brothers weren¡¯t going to just let him stroll by. He had to break their guard a little....or make them see reason somehow.


    ¡°So?¡± He rumbled into the darkness as the silence seemed to stretch. Three pair of glowing eyes glared back at him. At the mortal. Full of hostility.


    But Ezekiel just kept his tone light. ¡°Are you three just going to sit there in the shadows like a bunch of scaredy cats? Or will you come out here and talk to me.¡± Ezekiel hissed. ¡°I promise you the mortal is out cold....¡±


    A snarl of hesitation rolled out of his brothers and Ezekiel rolled his eyes to the heavens. ¡°Oh grow a damn pair and come here!¡± he hissed at them once again.


    Almost again their will, the shapes of his brother¡¯s moved closer.


    Until in the moonlight, two large spotted Leopards and one grey wolf stood slightly apart in the night.


    ***


    The two large leopards, each varying in size only slightly, and one alarmingly large grey wolf approached Ezekiel in darkness.


    The slight shuffle of dead pine needles beneath their feet, did nothing to convey the real size and weight of the three Shifters.


    The three animals gazed on Ezekiel and his burden with eyes that were unnervingly intelligent and full of unspoken words. The two leopards¡¯ and the wolf also had drastically different eyes from Ezekiel¡¯s own. The Leopards were his elder brothers Walter and Lander. While the Wolf was his other brother Nate.


    Ezekiel knew that his own eyes glowed a florescent light blue, not too different from the burning blue of a dying flame or an arc of lightning in the sky.


    The leopards¡¯ that approached him had eyes ranging from a shocking florescent green to a glaring sunset yellow, not unlike the eyes of an owl.


    While the wolf had two-tone eyes. The wolf¡¯s right eye was a blinding white almost as clear as the snow and his right eye was as dark as tar.


    And as they neared Ezekiel it wasn¡¯t hard to see how the animals moved in synch, a march of solidarity, and a march that on any other night Ezekiel would have been a part of.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    But even though the moment was tense and Ezekiel could sense their displeasure with him, he was glad to see his siblings. Shifters like him. Men who he trusted more than any other.


    ¡°Have you seriously thought this one through Ezekiel...?¡± Growled the larger Leopard with eyes burning bright yellow. This was Ezekiel¡¯s older brother Walter.


    Ezekiel sighed and said back to the beast. ¡°Just listen to me, Walter. I¡¯m taking the mortal to Mother. She¡¯s the only Healer skilled enough and she will help him. She will know how to help him.¡±


    This brought on a thoughtful-sounding hiss from his eldest brother.


    ¡°But do you understand how Dad will react to this?¡± The leopard with the yellow eyes, looked behind itself, back toward their home. ¡°There will be hell to pay when he finds out!¡± Walter growled glaring back at him from behind the animal''s face.


    Ezekiel translated the hisses and growls internally and then responded just as fiercely if solemnly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care Walter. Let him burn the house down with his fury, but I¡¯m not going to sleep in my bed tonight while a complete stranger bleeds to death right outside our door!¡± Ezekiel inserted.


    A moment of silence followed as all three animals shared a glace before Walter looked back at Ezekiel with a snort and a head shake.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Ezekiel translated from the animal''s familiar movements. Then the three animals finally began to close the gap between themselves and him.


    As the two Lapboards and the wolf neared him, padding on silent paws in the spongy forest needles a chorus of hisses, whimpers, barks and growls peppered the night.


    Each one is full of apprehension, worry, anger, and curiosity. Ezekiel watched each of the Shifters as they stopped not three feet away from him, obviously not prepared to get too close to the mortal.


    Ezekiel hissed back at them, summoning the sound from deep within where his own inner beast lay in wait for his call.


    He encouraged his siblings to come closer. He bore the mortals pitiful weight all while he did this until with a swift growl all three of his brothers began to near him once more.


    His brothers circled Ezekiel then, sniffing, the air, him and the mortal. Before he finally was forced to sit the stranger down for their examination. Ignoring the wolf''s harmless bark, he set the burden into the soil. Ezekiel did this gingerly, wounded as the stranger was, Ezekiel didn¡¯t want to risk killing him with hurried, jerky moves.


    And once he had backed away, not two seconds after he had laid the mortal to the ground, three very curious black noses were roaming across the intruder from head to toe.


    Ezekiel knew that his older sibling wanted to investigate the mortal thoroughly using some of a Shifters greatest endowments. Scent and taste.


    But strangely, when the green-eyed leopard, drug a scratchy tongue across the mortal''s cheek, Ezekiel instantly felt his lips tighten in a frown, and when the wolf lapped at the mortal¡¯s bloody pants legs, Ezekiel nearly snarled.


    Suddenly he felt...crowded. His brothers were far too close to the stranger and he didn¡¯t like it. They didn¡¯t have to smell him. They didn¡¯t have to touch him. They definitely didn¡¯t have to taste him.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Bright blue eyes flashing, then burning, he hissed at his brother¡¯s aggressively, and with varying degrees of flinching the trees Shifters took a healthy step back from the stranger to stare at Ezekiel. But just as fast as the absurdly protective sound escaped from between his teeth Ezekiel squashed it.


    A little embarrassed by his strange reaction, Ezekiel hunkered down beside the mortal and pretended to take his pulse. Pretended because Ezekiel already knew that the mortal was barely alive, but he needed something to center his eyes on other than his brother¡¯s.


    Ezekiel placed a hand over the mortal''s heart and looked up. ¡°This guy¡¯s not gonna last much longer.¡± He sighed, dropping his fingers from the mortal¡¯s cold, bloody shirt, and weak pulse.


    ¡°We need to make a decision.....Mom might not get to him in time if we don¡¯t hurry up...¡± Ezekiel told the three brothers. He glanced up at the animals that still stood before him and glared at them impatiently.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need you guys to De-Shift and talk to me like normal dammit!¡± He implored softly. ¡°If he¡¯s gonna make it I could use your help getting him home before he bleeds out!¡±


    A moment of hesitation was all Ezekiel got this time before his brothers all moved back into the shadows and De-Shifted.


    The change from Shifter to man, or as his people called it De-Shifting; was always accompanied by an intense blast of energy all along a Shifters skin.


    Most felt it like a hot wave across the skin and face, which is exactly what Ezekiel felt cascaded across the still night air, times three. Sharp heat prickled across his skin, as he watched his three brothers meld from one shape into another.


    Ears laid down, bones reallocated and cracked, spines lengthened, and clothing took the place of fur, until three shirtless men of differing heights, builds and eyes stood staring back at him. But the eyes. The eyes remained the same.


    ¡°Ezekiel...Don¡¯t you care about what Father will do once he catches you?¡± The newly formed man in the middle of his brothers asked him. Steeping closer, so that the moonlight from above began to lighten the shadows around his features...Ezkeiel was finally looking at his eldest brother.


    The yellow eyed man spoke with a voice devoid of emotion.


    Walter was the largest of the four, his chest was wide as were his hips, which hugged his jeans to his body, where the faint outlines of his muscular definition could be made out.


    His hands forearms and back were corded with muscle that also easy to see since his brother traveled shirtless that night. Hair cut short to the scalp by his ears, but grown at the top was brown in the soft moonlight, just like the slight dusting of a beard that covered his squared jaws, slim cheeks and beneath his nose.


    ¡°Now....you will make us accomplices to your madness? Give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t rip you apart for such a blatant show of disrespect?¡± Walter softly questioned Ezekiel in a deep rumble that was almost as animalistic as it was calm.


    There was no emotion in his question, just simple straight forwardness. If nothing else Ezekiel knew his eldest brother to be the coolest in stressful times, if the most distant of his siblings emotionally.


    And as Ezekiel went to respond to his words, he was brought up short by a power beyond himself. ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡± Walter barked at him in a sterner voice and turned Leopard eyes on him.


    A pain. A wave of power hit him, as their eyes linked and suddenly Ezekiel didnt utter a word. It wasn¡¯t because Ezekiel didn¡¯t want to speak or wouldn¡¯t speak back against his eldest sibling, but because he physically couldn¡¯t.


    With that one look Ezekiels entire cognitive functions shut down, words weren¡¯t just unutterable they became an impossibility.


    They vanished, along with his thoughts. Completely silenced. And even more disturbing than this was the fact that Ezekiel didn¡¯t even try to fight it after about two seconds. Walter''s power just settled across his mind, his soul. Ensnared. He listened for that was all he was permitted to do.


    ¡°Ezekiel like all of your other brilliant ideas, this too will end badly.¡± Walter hissed, pointing down at the mortal. ¡°Father has been lenient in the past, but this!?¡± Walter hissed, shifting his piercing yellow eyes down to the unconscious mortal before him. ¡°By bringing this stranger here, in this act of willfully disobeying him you are saying that you don¡¯t care about the rules he has set forth! Rules that not only protect him but the rest of our Clan!¡± Walter huffed, still with no real inflection to his words other than stating simple facts and consequences.


    Then Walter waved his hand across the front of his chest, palm out facing Ezekiel. ¡°Now explain yourself. Speak.¡±


    A new wave of power slammed into Ezekiel¡¯s entire being, but unlike feeling his brothers will locking down on him, Ezekiel gasped as the cage was popped off. His mouth and mind were suddenly free.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Ezekiel hissed suddenly as the funny feeling of being freed of his brothers'' power faded away. He put a hand to his throat and cleared it.


    ¡°Did you really have to do that Walter? You just had to put the mojo on me?¡± Ezekiel quipped at him, but Walter didn¡¯t respond. He calmly waited for Ezekiel to give him an explanation.


    Put on the spot Ezekiel tried to explain. But what did he have to say in his defense?


    All of his actions so far had been based on simple instinct and absolutely zero forethought. He was reactionary. His own personal curse. So naturally he had nothing to say.


    Sighing Ezekiel dropped his hand from his throat and shrugged. ¡°Ok Ok... So...so I don¡¯t exactly do what I¡¯m supposed to do ALL THE TIME, but do you really think I¡¯m doing this...!¡± Ezekiel said pointing down at the unconscious stranger like Walter had before him. ¡°To get back at Dad!?¡±


    Ezekiel rolled his eyes at his older siblings.


    ¡°Sure we have our disagreements sometimes. But I would never do anything to jeopardize our people! This time it¡¯s not some fire I started or me destroying some vase in the house cause I went a little crazy. I¡¯m trying to do a good deed here.¡± Ezekiel told them all. Then he sighed realizing something.


    ¡°Just forget it!¡± Ezekiel said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°I can''t waste time on this. You three can go back to patrolling the perimeter like good little cubs and forget that you saw any of this. I¡¯ll take care of the rest. I¡¯ll get him up to the house and ask Mom to look at him. Case closed.¡± He finished with a confident air. ¡°Now move out of the way!¡±

 Chapter 6 - Powers At Play

    Chapter 6 - Powers At Play


    Ezekiel wasn¡¯t sure what to expect after his harsh words....but he should have known that there would be serious backlash.


    ¡°I think someone¡¯s forgotten who the hell he¡¯s talking to! Do you really think you''ve got what it takes to go up against any of us!¡± sneered Ezekiel¡¯s green-eyed brother, Lander.


    With a brisk step, he brushed past Walter and approached Ezekiel with eyes full of open aggression.


    Lander was Ezekiel¡¯s second eldest brother.


    He much like Walter had wide shoulders, but his hips were more narrow and defined by muscle and sinew. Defined but slimmer he was built for the Shift, the streamlined body made for hunt and kill, like the leopard that slept inside of him. His hair was a stark mix of golden and light golden that was long enough to brush the tips of his ear in the front, but long enough to dust his neck at the middle and back of his head.


    And unlike Walter Landers face was free of all facial hair, though his upper chest was also dusted with short golden hair. While his left eyebrow was triple pierced, with three simple green amethysts that shimmered in the sun, but barely sparked in the moonlight. And with his hair swiped back with the morning dew that had soaked him through to his jeans.


    ¡°You¡¯ll take care of it? And let¡¯s all just forget that you¡¯re playing with fire!? You are so freaking ignorant sometimes Ezekiel. ¡± Lander pointed out marching across the clearing. Pine needles crunched as he walked.


    ¡°You touched it remember!? There are drops of blood all over you! Now your scent is on the mortals skin, not to mention his blood smeared all over your shirt. So...Even if we did leave it with you and you took IT into the village....Dads gonna smell the blood tonight when he comes home. Then Dads gonna find the mortal and that will be it! And you can¡¯t NOT come home ¡¯cause then he¡¯ll be looking for you. Either way, you¡¯re freaking caught. So we can¡¯t just ¡°Let you take care of it.¡± Because you¡¯re already in deep shit!!¡± Lander shook his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t really care about what happens to you or this intruder, but now you¡¯ve drug us into this mess with you!¡±


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want your help!! Now back off!?¡± Ezekiel snarled. Lander took one bold step after another towards him and the mortal.


    ¡°But you want Mom to get involved!? For some stranger?¡± Lander hissed in outrage, still coming at him.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing!!¡± Ezekiel hissed, taking a steep over the mortal to stand in his more emotional brother¡¯s way.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t you lil shit!!¡± Lander said. ¡°Every Shifter in this Clan knows not to go anywhere near a mortal, but you just had to try didn¡¯t you!¡±


    His brother hissed as Ezekiel came abreast of him, but Lander dominated him, with his slightly taller body.


    Ezekiel tried to respond in an even tone instead of a growl but he failed. ¡°I know the damn rules. He¡¯s my DAD too you know!¡°¡± Ezekiel replied to Landers harsh words. ¡°And of course I don¡¯t want to get MOM mixed up in this!¡±


    Lander smirked, but Ezekiel ignored him and kept talking. ¡°But, I definitely can¡¯t risk taking the stranger half way across the Clan Lands to the other Healers house either.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lander hissed in irritation. ¡°Anyone but mom would be better!¡±


    ¡°Well for one, you asshole.¡± Ezekiel snarled at his infuriating sibling. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to get the mortal all the way over to the Eastern village before sun up. And by then there will be far too many Shifters outside preparing for the upcoming harvest. If I get spotted with the mortal, not to mention if one of them smells the intruder, count on word of this getting back to father faster than a fly settling on shit.¡± Ezekiel said and smoothly ignored how Lander glared at him for his vulgar use of language. ¡°So that just leaves mom.¡±


    Ezekiel continued gesturing to the woods ahead of him. ¡°Mom will not only be able to help with the mortals injuries, but she¡¯s closer, and unlike anyone else, I know I can count on her to stay quiet about all of this. At least until I can get the mortal stabilized and then back out of here.¡± he finished.


    Lander growled somewhere deep in his chest like a cat in distress, but ten times bigger and angrier, and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Probably because he knows that Im right!


    Ezekiel said to himself. Then cleared his throat.


    ¡°Lander... I know that¡¯s its not ideal getting Mom mixed up in this, but she would want us to help him!¡± Ezekiel tried to implore. ¡°She would also be heartbroken if she found out that there was someone here who needed her help but they died because we were too SCARED to come to her! Even if that someone is a mortal.¡± Ezekiel stopped, putting his hands on his brother¡¯s shoulder, and trying to ease him away.


    With a sudden growl, Lander shoved Ezekiel backward with a hiss. Long white canines grew before Ezekiels'' eyes, overlapping Landers bottom lip as his anger let the Shifter, the leopard, inside come closer to the surface.


    ¡°Mom won¡¯t hear anything about this Ezekiel.¡± He spat, as Ezekiel glared him in the eyes. ¡°The solution here is easy to see. Just take this filthy mortal back wherever you fucking got him from and leave it alone!¡± Lander pointed out stepping right up to Ezekiel again. Getting in his face now.


    Ezekiel snarled, his own eyes slit, and glowing blue, overtaking his irises, as leopard eyes replaced his mortal ones.


    ¡°I wont! What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you trying to condemn a total stranger to death? We don¡¯t murder outsiders!¡± he shouted.


    Lander smiled at him nastily and completely unmoved.


    ¡°Oh grow up! It isn¡¯t murder if we didn¡¯t slice ¡¯em up in the first place.¡± He supplied coldly. ¡°There are NO MORTALS PERMITTED without Dad''s express authority onto the Clan Lands! You know this is wrong! What gives you the right to usurp Dad¡¯s authority anytime you want to!? Youre not special and just because your blood is a little fucked up compared to the rest of us it doesn''t give you the right to just go off the rails like this!¡±


    Ezekiel shoved his brother with his left arm, still unable to move his right shoulder very much since he had gotten stabbed.


    ¡°Oh like your so god damn goody goody Lander. You don¡¯t give a damn about the rule and I know I don¡¯t give a damn about Father''s rules IF they say that I have to stand back and let people die in front of me. Even IF that person is an outsider! He¡¯s harmless. What will it hurt for Mom to take a look at his wounds? Huh! Tell me what the fucking issue really is!?¡±


    Lander took a step back from his brother with an aggressive hiss and spit at the ground, beside the mortal¡¯s body. ¡°On fucking cry me a river you liar!¡± He said. ¡°If that mortal is so sickly and helpless, then how did you get that giant hole in your chest Ezekiel?¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Ezekiel mummed under his breath, feeling the giant stinging hole in his collar all the more now that his brother had mentioned it.


    He had hoped that his dark clothing and the smell of rotten flesh on the mortal would hide the smell of his own blood. Ezekiel had also hoped that the sparse moonlight would hide the decidedly deep flesh wound inches to the left of his heart, but no such luck.


    Lander being so close to him must have smelled the blood he had spilt while apprehending the intruder.


    ¡°Oh, Shit is right.¡± Lander chuckled with a hard edge. ¡°Now tell us the whole story. Not some patched-up sob story. You didn¡¯t just find him passed out in the woods did you, little brother?¡±


    ***


    ¡°I...¡± Ezekiel started....then he stopped.


    He wanted to lie. He didn¡¯t want them to know that the mortal had in fact stabbed him. Tried to kill him. They would think he was crazy.


    Am I?


    Ezekiel had to ask himself.


    Taking a delusional mortal that stabbed him through the chest and then kissed him, right into his home...to his MOTHER no less?


    But still wasn¡¯t there more to the story?


    The tears, the blood, the strange behavior, the fear that Ezekiel had glimpsed in the stranger''s eyes that had encouraged him not to kill the stranger himself only a few minutes ago. Something told him that this man, whoever he was, wasn¡¯t there to cause them any harm.


    But Ezekiel also didn¡¯t want to lie. Not because he would feel bad about it, but because his brother Lander, much like his other siblings was....powerful. Or more like they each had powers that made any lie Ezkeiel would try to tell, completely useless.


    And where Walter could silence him with just a word.....his other brothers could do much more. Especially Lander.


    And then it wasn¡¯t Ezkeiels choice anymore. Because a knife cold and steel, slammed into his brain, causing a pinching pain that soaked right down into his spine as it sliced across his thoughts. Into his memories.


    Ezekiel was knocked wordless by strong discomfort as his elder brother tested his thoughts partaking of his mind without his permission. Ezekiel grunted and grabbed his temples from the invasion of another mind, the cold unfamiliar presence.


    ¡°Lander get the fuck out of my head!¡± he snarled, his own canines lengthening in his mouth, fangs cutting into his bottom lip. Ezekiel thought about charging his brother and teaching him a lesson. But then it stopped.


    Suddenly the cold was gone. Like a knife withdrawn from his temple, Ezekiel shook his head and winced trying to knock away the cold on his spine, but he knew that the sensation would last for hours; unlike Walter''s power which faded away after only seconds of being removed.


    Ezekiel felt exhausted being used as a punching bag for not one of his siblings, but now two in a row.


    He prayed silently that his third brother, Nate, wouldn¡¯t see fit to jump in, but Ezekiel¡¯s third brother stood to the side simply watching. Nate¡¯s two tones eyes, seemed quite bored with the whole situation as he cracked open his mouth and yawned softly.


    Ezekiel insanely wished that Nate would step in if only to stall Lander from getting more aggravated.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s take a look.¡± Lander mused, looking down, the only proof that he had just read Ezekiels mind, was the fact that he hadn¡¯t moved the entire time, until now.


    His brother closed his eyes, his lids jumping as he mind saw all that his powers had taken from Ezekiels private thoughts. ¡°So the outside wounded you!? And you still want to help him? No way am I letting you take him anywhere near the Clan. Leave him here Ezekiel.¡± Lander all but demanded.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through this!¡± Ezekiel calmly shot back at him. He was positively sick and tired of his brothers'' tone. ¡°I¡¯m taking him into the village Lander!¡± He flashed his growing fangs in a clear threat. A rumble of violence in his chest seemed to tremble the air between the two men. ¡°Don''t bring this to blows. We both know that I¡¯ll win this fight, Lander, so back off!!¡±


    ¡°OH! So now you wanna fight me!?¡± Lander sneered, then shrugged. ¡°Bring it on, but you¡¯re wasting your time. No way is mom gonna help an outsider that tried to kill you! And he¡¯s definitely dead when Dad finds out too.¡± Lander shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not gonna work!! I¡¯ll just put the little shit out of his misery right now for you!¡±


    With a sharp pop of energy, warmth poured across the air, and Landers nails shivered slightly and then began lengthening, until in seconds they had become long sharp clear claws. The hunting scythes of a leopard tipped Lander''s fingers and from the look on his face...Ezekiel knew his brother was gonna try and use them.


    Ezekiel snarled at him in warning and took a step forward. He was prepared to make his brother backdown¡­and he knew it was obvious that he would not step down as all of his brothers seemed to stiffen.


    ¡°WHOA! Dammit, Ezekiel! Stop it already. We get it!! Jesus!!¡±


    Nate suddenly growled, putting a hand over his eyes, then he strolled forward.


    Suddenly the only sibling who hadn¡¯t made a move or said a single word so was walking right between Ezekiel and Lander and it was only his presence that kept things from turning into chaos.


    With an unconcerned smirk, he put a hand on Lander''s shoulder. ¡°Did you seriously have to challenge Lander to a fight!!? We don¡¯t have time for this you two....the sun will be up soon. We need to come to a decision before then.¡±


    Nate, the wolf, Ezekiels third eldest sibling, said with an eye roll.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Which served to accent the fact that one of his eyes was jet black, while his left eye was pure white with a black pupil. His height matched Ezekiels'' as did his build, but the main variations could be found in the cut of their features and their hair color.


    Whereas Ezekiel was long-haired and dirty blond. Nate¡¯s hair was bolt black and cropped inches from his scalp and styled at discordant spikes and angles that were somehow still appealing to the eye.


    Where Ezekiel''s muscles were sinewy and more graceful, Nate¡¯s limbs were slightly shorter, but bulked with more muscle and tanned far more. And where Ezekiel''s face was unmarred by any piercings or scars, Nate¡¯s left eye was marred by a deep, old, and very long scar.


    The old cut was faded, but still noticeable enough in the pale moonlight to stand out. While Nate''s ears were both fitted with two three-inch gages in the shapes of spikes.


    ¡°Get out of the way mutt.¡± Lander hissed, slapping Nate¡¯s hand off of his arm after they silently glared each other down. Daring the other to make a move. ¡°I have made my decision. That outsider is not going into the village!!¡± He snarled as he tried to brush past Nate, but Nate stepped in his way smoothly.


    Nate shook his head and smiled at Lander as Lander growled back in his face, but Nate''s smile flashed sharp, wolfish teeth. ¡°No one can talk to you when you get like this Lander. You need to calm down.¡±


    ¡°Move Nate....or I¡¯ll move you!!¡± Lander hissed at him.


    ¡°Nope. You¡¯re still not calm.¡± Nate quipped, his voice just as smooth as Ezekiel''s, but a smidge huskier as he opened his left hand, palm down, then closed it into a fist.


    With a crisp cold snap of power, his energy poured out into the night. With an indignant shout of surprise, Landers left leg snapped together with his right, as if drawn together by magnets. And a moment later his claw-tipped hands were ripped down and plastered at his side and thighs.


    The sudden move apparently caught Lander off guard, because he swayed dangerously fighting not to fall forwards as he was tied into a penguin stance that would have been comical any other time to Ezekiel.


    Lander snarled, gnashing his teeth in righteous fury, and began to struggle wildly for release. But for all his snapping and struggling Ezekiel knew he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Having been at Nate¡¯s mercy before Ezekiel knew that it was futile to fight him once he managed to capture you.


    ¡°Let me go you stupid bastards!¡± Completely ignoring his brother as Lander had a small meltdown behind him, Nate walked up beside Walter and Ezekiel, leaving Lander in the background to curse them to all kinds of unpleasant locations. ¡°Let me GO!!¡± Lander shouted and snarled.


    Unconcerned, Nate simply flexed his neck from side to side and settled in by Ezekiel''s side. Putting a hand on his shoulder, he beckoned Walter to join them in a circle next to the still mortal.


    Once Walter was close enough, Nate shrugged and said


    ¡°So what ARE we gonna do? I definitely smell the blood on you now Ezekiel, and metal. The mortal definitely stabbed you....¡± Nate, tapped Ezekiel¡¯s left arm, making him wince as the wound in his arm throbbed. ¡°Right here.....Tell us what happened.¡±


    ¡°I already told you what happened!!¡± Ezekiel growled at his brothers, still feeling slightly aggravated and cagey after Landers'' failed attack on the mortal. ¡°We''re wasting time.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Walter growled looming over Ezekiel and Nate slightly. ¡°You are wasting time.¡± He said simply. ¡°You told us a lie. The sooner we get the truth, the sooner we can get to damn the point.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Ezekiel hissed, glaring at them both.


    ¡°Ok. ¡°Nate shrugged and smiled softly. ¡°Now that our resident buffoon has been dealt with.¡± Nate rumbled with a smile at Landers expense. ¡°And since the rest of us can¡¯t exactly read your minds, Ezekiel, just start at the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ezekiel breathed suddenly releasing a breath he hadn¡¯t known he had been holding.


    Now that the most volatile of his brothers was out of the way he felt he could relax his guard. So he recounted the events of what had all transpired between him and the stranger, as precisely and as quickly as he could. The smell of the mortal¡¯s blood saturating the air was an ever-present reminder that time was of the essence.


    ¡°So the mortal struck you...twice. One time close to the heart....but you still want to help it?¡± Nate questioned Ezekiel three minutes later once everything had been said.


    But then Nate leaned forward to sniff at his wounded shoulder. He grimaced as he withdrew. ¡± I don¡¯t smell any poison, only blood and iron. A blade for killing. This stranger could be very dangerous Ezekiel maybe it would have been best for you to leave him where he fell?¡± Nate softly asked


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t just leave him out there to die,¡± Ezekiel said back, took a deep breath, and dropped his head.


    ¡°I may have also cracked his ribs.... and...I sort of slugged him in the jaw when he came at me...but I didn¡¯t know outsiders were so fragile. I think I made the wounds worse by striking him.¡±


    ¡°So you feel guilty?¡± Nate murmured looking over at Walter. ¡°But you had to knock him out. That wound in your chest was not some lucky shot! And you are not some passer-by Ezekiel. It took some skills to land that blow on you.¡±


    Ezekiel tried furiously not to flush in embarrassment.


    Oh! What my brothers would say to know that I had left myself open to attack when I tried to check the stranger''s pulse...!?


    Ezekiel shuttered inside and then said to them.


    ¡°But I''m sure he wasn¡¯t trying to hurt ME! Ezekiel started only for Nate to speak over him.


    ¡°But he stabbed you Ezekiel! Normal people don¡¯t just go stabbing strangers, Im sure.¡± Nate said cutting him off.


    ¡°Well I... ¡°Ezekiel began again only for his other brother to speak over him this time.


    ¡°He obviously would have killed a lesser man with such an unprovoked, and vicious attack,¡± Walter said with a shrug.


    ¡°As I was saying...!¡± Ezekiel huffed, crossing his arms over his chest ignoring the fiery twinge that stabbed into his collarbone and shoulder as he moved his arm upwards. ¡°When I came upon him the mortal was screaming into the night. The mortal was raving, bloody, and weak, stumbling drunkenly from foot to foot and tree to tree. And after he saw me he started crying, moaning in pain.¡±


    ¡°He what?¡± Walter prompted.


    Ezekiel shrugged again ignoring the pain this time. ¡°He cried to me. He begged me not to ¡°Take him¡±


    ¡°He begged you?¡± Nate now prompted.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said isn¡¯t it?¡± Ezekiel snapped at them both. He was tired of the run-around. ¡°So it stands to reason, that not only could this intruder have been confused, but this mortal could have mistaken me for this unknown assailant that seems to have split open his stomach like a pi?ata.¡±


    ¡°So by your thinking is that he tried to kill you.....on accident?¡± Lander sniffed, still stuck in place looking like a very angry penguin.¡°Oops! I''m sorry, I just plunged my dirk into your heart, good sir. It was all so very silly of me!?¡± Lander snorted at Ezekiel and looked away.


    But he only managed to shift his head though, since any other movement would have sent him to the ground face first, without his hands to catch him or to break his fall. The fiery anger that had taken him over seemed to have disappeared. He perhaps no longer wanted to kill the mortal, but he wasn¡¯t happy either.


    But Ezekiel had long ago stooped being surprised by the drastic emotional heights his older brother could reach and then come back from at the flip of a dime. That was just how Lander was. How his powers made him act. But Ezekiel squashed that particular train of thought as he responded to the question.


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is he needs help, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a danger to us! So let¡¯s take him to the village already.¡± Ezekiel sighed, giving up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try it! What if he¡¯s one of those rare meat seekers that like to eat us and skin us?¡± Lander questioned him, long nails and teeth still quite visible through he could sense his brothers ire dissipating.


    ¡°What, like a hunter?¡± Walter provided.


    ¡°Riiiight,¡± Nate said with a good-natured eye roll. ¡°Like this pathetic pile of bones and rags is a Hunter? Hes as skinny as a weeping willow! Give me a break, besides all Hunters reek of silver and he doesn''t.¡± He said scoffing at the mortal on the ground.


    ¡°What else do I have to say?¡± Ezekiel said throwing his hands in the air. ¡°There is no danger here. So are you guys gonna help me or let me go? Make up your minds, because I¡¯m taking him to the village. No more discussion!¡±


    ¡°Fine, if this is to be the path you¡¯ve chosen, then I do not see any of us persuading you to turn back...at least not by resorting to violence....¡± Walter suddenly rumbled. His burning yellow eyes pierced the misty darkness. The large shadowed figure of his largest sibling was stoic and unyielding in the pale light of the moon.


    ¡°I will help escort the intruder to the house with you Ezekiel. But when we get there Im not leaving Mom alone with this stranger. Got it?¡± As the Eldest, his words held a lot of power over the other brothers.


    With no other recourse, all Ezekiel could do was nod. Then Ezekiel looked at his other brothers and quirked an eyebrow at them.


    ¡°He¡¯s gonna kill you for this!¡± Lander snorted predictably. ¡°You know that right? He¡¯s gonna kill ALL of you.¡± Lander hissed. A wave of soft warm air cascaded on the wind, as Lander''s burning green eyes and nails suddenly all disappeared from sight.


    ¡°And you know what? Frankly, I wouldn¡¯t miss this for the world!¡± Lander sneered in evil glee. ¡°It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve seen the old man rip a Shifter to little bloody bits. I¡¯m not helping, but I am tagging along for the ride.¡± his brother grinned, flashing the teeth that unlike his claws hadn¡¯t had the chance to shrink back to a mortal¡¯s length and remained sharp white fangs.


    ¡°Shut up Lander, before I leave you stuck behind like that till morning,¡± Nate growled at his older brother, sounding more like a dog than a man. Then he smiled and said to Ezekiel supportively.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m conferrable with this, but Ill trust you Ezekiel. You¡¯re the one who encountered the stranger, so I understand you feeling responsible for him, but one foul move....¡± Nate said with a dark look at the mortal. ¡°If he hurts you again, or Mom, or any of our Clan? Ill rip this mortal¡¯s heart out of his chest and eat it along with a few of his other organs for shits and giggles. Ok? Great! Well then let¡¯s go already and save this guys life.¡± Nate said with a smile as he patted Ezekiel arm.


    It was a soft smirk, no anger was hidden in it. And his words were just as simple. They didn¡¯t ask for anything in return. Not even understanding.


    Ezekiel returned that smile out of habit because that is what he most often saw his Wolfish sibling doing. Smiling.


    Ezekiel knew his third brother the best and the least.


    Since Nate was closest in age to Ezekiel he often took things in stride or with an air of pure nonchalance that could be irritating...or even disturbing at times. Carefree and playful were the main points of his third sibling''s personality but just beneath that open enthusiastic nature, was a well of mystery that Ezekiel just couldn¡¯t fathom.


    Maybe it was because Nate wasn¡¯t actually related to any of them by blood? He had been adopted into the family many years ago and was loved no differently because of it by his siblings. But still he was a wolf and they were all Leopards.


    Ezekiel turned and offered Walter his thanks next, while Nate suddenly waved his left hand out towards Lander.


    Different colored eyes flashed bright white like snow for only a moment before Lander suddenly crashed to the forest floor, his limbs free of whatever power had been superimposed over them. Ezekiel watched Lander snarl and put his arms over the back of his head with a soft moan. His discomfort was understandable. Ezekiel knew that his entire body would be sore after Nate¡¯s hold wore off completely.


    It seemed so...routine and normal to witness these things. But Ezekiel knew that the things that his siblings could do were amazing, but somehow over their years, he had grown accustomed to their family¡¯s power.


    Even in the Shifter world, the things that they could do were unique. Only one child in each decade was born with enhancements or what his people called Innate Abilities. Supernatural powers. But for some unexplained reason all four of them had been born with powers at the same time.


    Where Lander could read minds, Nate was able to control a man¡¯s body. And Walter, well he manipulated men¡¯s hearts. Even Ezekiel and his father had powers, but their mother didn¡¯t.


    It made life with his brothers wonderfully unpredictable.


    So while Lander continued to mope on the forest floor, Ezekiel and the rest of the brothers crowded around the mortal.


    ¡°Come on. Help me carry him. Gently. Too much jostling could kill him before we reach the village.¡± Ezekiel instructed his siblings. He took the time to split the mortal¡¯s frail weight with Walter. So Ezekiel held his head and chest while Walter took his lower back and legs.


    Walters¡¯s large nose and face clenched in disgust as the smell of sour rot and blood overcame all of them. ¡°Elders above...He stinks. ¡± Walter growled to no one in particular.


    ¡°Hey, Nate put some kind of pressure on his side to slow the blood even more. The blood flow has slowed down a lot so we can stop him from slipping into shock if we don''t help to stem the wound .¡± Ezekiel told his sibling, then watched patiently while his sibling walked over to Lander, reached behind him, and quickly snatched the white tank top that he had stuffed into the back pocket of his jeans.


    Lander rolled over on his side and snarled at Nate in warning as he took possession of the shirt, but otherwise made no move to take back the garment.


    As Nate moved away, Lander began to regain his feet and watched them work from the sidelines.


    Having secured the cloth, Nate opened his mouth and put a few sharp teeth into it. He then yanked downward with his hands, pulling back with his head sharply. It reminded Ezekiel of a wolf pulling flesh from bone.


    A moment later the shirt had been torn in two then in three. Ignoring another of Landers angry growls Ezekiel helped Nate, secure some of the thin cloth around the mortal¡¯s sides, but as they tightened the cloth around the mortals wounds the stranger''s blood once more oozed. It got on Ezekiels skin, coating his and Nate¡¯s fingers as they worked.


    And once again, the smell zinged across Ezekiels'' sense. Like unpleasant pops in his nose and throat, but also leaving a tingling behind that was warm, and just a hint of sweet something....something he couldn¡¯t name.


    As the smell and feel of the stranger¡¯s blood saturated him once again, pouring down his throat, the warm buzz traveling on Ezekiels'' skin, much like the warmth that came after a Shift, Ezekiel found himself staring at the blood on his hand in fascination. It took him a moment to realize that his eyes were glowing bright blue now.


    His irises slit into thin bolts of blue and black, but his nails had also lengthened slightly and his teeth were annoying him.


    They itched in his gums, Ezekiel ran his tongue across the sharpening tips of his canines conspicuously, and then his lips, but it was only when he swallowed thickly that he began to see what was bothering him. Staring at his hand, the smell of blood coating his mouth. He was hard-pressed to ignore what he wanted this time. What he had been wanting since meeting the stranger. He wanted to taste it.


    Shocked by the disgusting idea Ezekiel tried to push it away like he had before, but it took root far too fast this time.


    The hum in his throat became a burn....like an ache in a parched throat for water. In fact, the moment that the idea crossed his mind, he had to fight the urge to raise his blood-soaked fingers to his lips and lap the sweet.....


    Ezekiel shook his head violently, letting a small snarl of confusion escape as he did so.


    Nate stopped working, his hands now coated in crimson the same as Ezekiels and looked up at him questioningly. His white and black eyes were fathomless. ¡°Your eyes...What is it Ezekiel?¡± he asked.


    Shaken and just a little queasy. Ezekiel ducked his eyes from his elder brother. His face hidden in the shadows as he took the knots and secured the cloth with one final tug. But sensing Nate¡¯s eyes still on him, he supplied an answer that was some version of the truth.


    ¡°I...I just...There¡¯s so much blood.¡± He began, trying to make his throat stop aching. ¡°I¡¯m just anxious to get him to mom before he dies on us.¡± He finished.


    Then trying to hide how shaken he was by his strange inner struggle, Ezekiel hefted the mortal a little, and with a flic of his chin, he got Walter to begin walking, as he followed, and Nate supported the mortals missing side.


    As they walked Nate kept the blood trapped, with firm hands that were far from merciful in the pressure that they applied to the mortals gashed side.


    Ezekiel couldn¡¯t help but wince as his bother applied force to the cloth to block any further bleeding. From the way his brother¡¯s hands were soon dripping wet, Ezekiel knew that if their unconscious intruder had been awake he would have been screaming in agony, but Ezekiel didn¡¯t say anything about his brother¡¯s bedside manner. He was the one that had insisted that they save the intruder''s life after all, and the bleeding had to be managed, even if it was staunched by such crude means.


    After a few moments of silent trudging forwards Walter once more spoke, a smooth rumble in the night. His eyes were nothing but burning slits of yellow that allowed him to navigate the dark pine forest with no fear of stumbling. ¡°You know...Once we get him to the house, he could still die Ezekiel.¡± Walter said to him quietly.


    As he always spoke. And with little emotion one way or another. ¡°No mortal this small and sickly can survive such a grievous wound. He may already be past the threshold. Accept this now and when he does pass, do not feel too encumbered by it. Mortals kill each other all the time and they are not sturdy creatures. They can die quite easily.¡±


    Positively in awe of his brother speaking that much in one sitting, Ezekiel could only nod at him.


    ¡°Die now. Die later. Who knows....¡± Lander chuckled, trailing behind them and not offering to help his sibling with their delicate package. ¡°Ezekiel, you should have just saved yourself the trouble really.¡±


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t answer him. But that was only because he didn¡¯t have anything to say. Lander chuffed at his silence.

 Chapter 7 - Follow Through

    Chapter 7 ¨C Follow Through


    ¡°Mom...You have to promise not to scream please?¡± Ezekiel whispered walking his mother up from the spiral staircase and down the long hallway of the third floor of their three-story home. The dim light that glowed from the few candles lit in the early hours of the previous evening lent a welcome shadow that helped to hide Ezekiel''s anxiety from her.


    After managing to not only sneak the mortal into their home without the world ending, Ezekiel quickly realized that both of his parents had retired to their bedroom for the night.


    Safe


    Was what Ezekiel had thought to himself as they smuggled the mortal further into their home.


    Each of his brothers struggled slightly to juggle the mortal¡¯s limp weight and avoid the furniture in the front hall. But...


    Somehow Ezekiel and his brothers eventually managed to take the mortal up toward the second floor, where they all knew there wouldn¡¯t be any shortage of spare bedrooms to hide the stranger in.


    But then....the hard part had come. Ezekiel now had to fetch his mother, Glen, from her bed and try to convince her to help him, help the stranger. Without his father finding out.


    Ezekiel hadn¡¯t even realized how nervous he was until he had left his brothers Nate and Walter and Lander behind guarding the unconscious mortal.


    Lander stood glaring at the three of them from the corner of the room, farthest from the mortal, and for the most part, he preoccupied himself by making rude comments and snarling in the mortal¡¯s direction.


    And as Ezekiel made his way out of the room, Lander shook his head at all of them and sighed.


    He left them there, watching over a half-dead creature that could hardly harm anyone, but Ezekiel knew intuitively that his brothers weren¡¯t going to take any unnecessary chances. Dead or alive the mortal was something new, violate and unknown. In the Shifter world, all of that translated into danger.


    So all alone and determined, but far from confident Ezekiel quickly climbed the stairs up to his parents¡¯ bed room; Which almost completely covered the entire third floor of their home.


    When he reached the top step of the third floor, he looked down the single-wide hallway.


    Two doors fit more for a church, large, heavy brownish burgundy wood, ingrained with the impression of two giant leopards laying in mirrored opposites, was the only thing to see. Ezekiel walked down the hall soundlessly. Then he cracked open the right door slowly. The wood, though years old, moved effortlessly and silently under his cautious shuffle.


    Good door.


    Ezekiel said to himself as he slowly entered the room beyond.


    He knew that just because he hadn¡¯t sensed his father yet didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t just around the corner.


    His father didn¡¯t become Clan Head by being an easy man to sneak up on. He was the master hunter in that village and everyone knew it.


    So while Ezekiel had opened the door he had strained with his inner senses. Stretching them into the space beyond the door searching for his father¡¯s scent, but with a grateful look to the heavens all he had managed to smell on the other side of his parent''s door was his mother¡¯s soft, calming scent. He scanned and scanned again for his father¡¯s scent.....but nothing.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Fighting not to sag against the door in relief, Ezekiel took a few steps further into his parent¡¯s very large, very well-lit bedroom. Ezekiel let his gaze settle to the light as he gave his surroundings a cursory glance searching for his mother. Ezekiel and his brother had of course been in their parent¡¯s room before, but it was far from an everyday visit. So it took him a moment to spot his mother.


    The entire room, much like the doors and the rest of their home was painted a deep rich reddish brown, bordered by a warm white, that like the doors was also ingrained with smaller, but no less intricate carvings of Leopards staring straight ahead, eyes fixed on the next Leopard only five inches away from it. Large windows sat on the walls. One far to the left, three in a strait seven feet across from the doors that Ezekiel now stood in front of and two more far to the left, and he knew that there would be one smaller window in the bathroom hidden just to his left behind a sliding wooden door.


    All of the windows blinds were drawn and pure white silken curtains blocked out the chill night and the half-moon that Ezekiel and his brothers had just managed to escape from.


    Far to the left of the large room was a small sitting area, on top of a pristine white mat that all sat in front of three bookshelves filled to the brim with books, manuscripts, and scrolls a few of which sat on the table and floor cracked wide open like the reader had just jumped up and walked away. A small wooden table in front of the chairs sporting a dying candle gave him a quick glimpse of an upside down pipe and a large brimmed rawhide hat with a giant feather sticking out of it.


    ¡°Dads pipe...Dad''s hat...¡± Ezekiel mused in breath looking on. ¡°Ok, good. I guess he¡¯s still out on patrol....¡±


    Far to the right, past the closed bathroom was a double-door closet, door open gave a few glances to the silken gowns, heels, boots, jeans and ties and other clothing that belonged jointly to his mother and father, and filling the space before that was another white rug, this one supporting a rectangular table sporting a vase full of white flowers, a tiny sewing machine and a small chest cracked open was spilling over with cotton, ribbons.


    Not seeing any sight of his mother there Ezekiel finally centered his gaze on the giant king mattress that dominated the area just before the three windows. The bed was massive, and mostly blocked from his view. Dark brown bed curtains flowed down from the rails over the bed, keeping Ezekiel from seeing if his mother was even in the bed. But taking a deep breath, Ezekiel took in her familiar scent once more and he knew that somewhere under those dark curtains was where he¡¯d find her. Ezekiel quickly crossed the room, silent as only a big cat could be, he tried his hardest not to startle her.


    A small gap in the curtains by the foot of the bed allowed Ezekiel to pull them back, then walk them all the way around on a sliding rail embedded in the ceiling above the bed until there was enough candlelight for him to see the interior by.


    And there....far to the right-center of the bed was his mother.


    Ezekiels mother, Glen, was not what one would expect to see after seeing her four sons. Compared to her children Glen was nothing like her very tall, muscled, black, gold, and dirty-blond-haired alpha male children, who not only outweighed her but outstood her.


    Glen was a small woman, five-eight, and a half in height and a buck fifty-five soaking wet. She was laying on her side, a long skirt and a willowy shirt tussled as though her sleep wasn¡¯t restful.


    Looking at her Ezekiel couldn¡¯t help but be remained of how delicate she seemed, how delicate she had always seemed to him. Small head, round face, small round jaw, long graceful fingers. Sinewy arms, and legs, but she also had small feet and dainty bones. A head full of curly brown hair was splayed all around her, and her hands were balled into little fists. One hand at her ribs and one at her temple. She looked far too content for him to awaken.


    And suddenly Ezekiel just wanted to duck out of the room. Just turn and leave her to rest, none the wiser of the things he was going to ask her to do for him.....the things that he was about to force her to do for him against his father''s, her husband¡¯s wishes.....


    So you¡¯re just going to let a total stranger die because you¡¯re getting cold feet? You chicken.


    A voice snipped at him from inside and Ezekiel cursed.


    No...I¡¯ve already done the worst thing possible, i let the man tresspass. Now I can only sink so far before everything bottoms out again....right?


    Ezekiel rolled his eyes at himself. ¡°Yeah right.¡± He scoffed softly.


    He leaned forward grabbed his mothers¡¯ small fist and tugged on her arm softly.

 Chapter 8 - This Is BAD

    Chapter 8 - This is Bad


    Realizing that it was almost three am Ezekiel allowed her the necessary time to emerge from her sleep before he spoke.


    ¡°Ezekiel?¡± His mother gorged, raising her head, curls tumbling over her shoulder she pulled herself up onto her seat and stretched leisurely. Bright green eyes glowed in the dim lights. Slit like a big cat they contacted sharply as her eyes opened, and as she opened her small mouth to yawn, tiny fangs flashed in the candlelight. Reminding Ezekiel that for all Shifters, sleep allowed the beast much closer to the surface than was possibly safe.


    ¡°Ezekiel? What time is it? Is something wrong?¡ä his mother hissed softly, drawing her arms up into the air to crack her back, closing her eyes and rubbing them as she slouched on the bed. When she opened her eyes again they were suddenly no different than a mortals, no glowing green or slits. And when she once more was overcome with a yawn Ezekiel didn¡¯t glimpse any Leopard fangs before she had smothered her mouth with a hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a few hours before dawn. Sorry to wake you, but something serious came up.¡± Ezekiel yawned then chuckled as he pulled back. ¡°I need you to come see this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. What is it? ¡± Glen mused, she put out her hand toward him. Ezekiel took it and helped her slide across the mattress and steep down to the carpet. ¡°Something must be wrong if you have to come and get me so early Ezekiel.¡± His mother mused dropping his hand as she turned and walked over towards her bedside table.


    With a practiced flick of her hand, she lit a candle. The flame illuminated the room even more and took the shadows from between them. With a slight frown, Glen took in Ezekiels damp appearance, with sharp narrowed eyes that zeroed in on his blood-spattered throat, and hands. With a careless flick of her wrist, his other tossed down the matches and crossed over to him faster than he could put his hands out to forestall her.


    ¡°Oh sweet heart.¡± His mother sighed, putting her hand to his throat and following the blood back to the hole in his upper chest that had mostly clotted over and had mostly healed over in the last fifteen minutes. ¡°Did you get snagged by another moose again!?¡± His mother fretted, she pulled him down by his shoulder and Ezekiel let her.


    He refrained from telling her the truth just yet. He let her position him to her height, then once his chest wound was more level to the light she pulled down the hem of his clothes gingerly and winced at the blood leaking lazily from a deep incision in his upper shoulder, trailing into his lower collarbone.


    ¡°Mom...¡± Ezekiel began but stopped as his mother growled at him in irritation.


    ¡°Honestly Ezekiel you should have come gotten me sooner...Hmm...I think it needs a few stitches to stall the blood flow, but by the morning it should be fully healed without any attention from me.¡± Glen ignored him and poked the edges of the cut with her finger then released him.


    Ezekiel straitened and winced as his shirt pulled at the blood that had dried over the wound.


    ¡°Strange wound to leave if it was a moose....¡± Glen mused looking at him. ¡°That puncture is oddly precise Ezekiel. Are you sure it was a moose that hit you?¡±


    ¡°Mom...I never said it was a moose. But there is something I need you to see before...¡± Ezekiel tried to say only for his mother to startle him with a strangled hiss. Suddenly round green eyes began to glow, canines peeking out as they grew longer, she snatched up Ezekiels hands and sniffed at them.


    ¡°Mortal!?¡± Glen shook her head looking at his shoulder, her green eyes going from just glowing to slit and narrow like a cat in seconds. ¡°Did mortals attack you!?¡± Glen growled so hard and so beastly that the hairs on Ezekiel¡¯s arms rose at the pure protective aggression he could read there.


    Hoping to calm the situation as well as get Glen to listen to him, Ezekiel took his hands back and covered her small ones. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said softly and slowly. ¡°Mom listen to me. Something....huge happened. I need your help and I will tell you everything, but first, you have to promise me something.¡± Ezekiel took a deep breath and waited.


    ¡°Whatever it is...¡± His mother began. She looked so worried that Ezekiel felt like an ass for what he was about to say, but he said it anyway.


    ¡°Mom, I need you to promise me that you won¡¯t tell Dad about it.¡± Ezekiel rushed to get it all out and wasn¡¯t surprised when a moment later his mother rolled her glowing eyes and snatched her small hands away from him.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Ezekiel...¡± Glen hissed at him with a glare. Her eyes colored just then not just with worry, but with a little bit of fire. ¡°What did you do....?¡±


    ¡°Im serious! Someone could die.¡± Ezekiel cut her off. As much as he hated to involve her; the stranger would die without her help and her promise. ¡°Dad can¡¯t be told about any of this, nothing that I show you or tell you. He just won¡¯t be able to accept this....He¡¯ll be too furious to listen to reason. You know how he gets!¡±


    His mother¡¯s lips thinned slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She searched his gaze and she must have felt sorry for him or she must have guessed that he was in a lot of trouble because she sighed, took up his blood-stained hands, and nodded.


    ¡°Fine. Ezekiel I promise I won¡¯t tell him....¡± Glen said, then shot him a hiss. ¡°But only for tonight. ¡± His mother patted his bicep. ¡°I will speak to him if I must. I can¡¯t... I won¡¯t promise you anything more than that, until you show me what this is all about...¡± She smiled at him softly. ¡°So are you going to let me help you...or not?¡±


    ¡°Ok...¡± Ezekiel sighed.


    I guess that¡¯s all I¡¯m getting.


    He thought to himself.


    Anyway, I can¡¯t afford to drag this out any longer. That mortals¡¯ bleeding out as we speak.


    So Ezekiel had led his mother from her quiet bed room, down to the second floor and as they neared the mortals¡¯ door, Ezekiel got more and more nervous. He continued to talk to steel his nerves. He absolutely didn¡¯t know what would happen once he revealed the mortal to her.


    Stooping in front of the room. Ezekiel took a deep breath.


    ¡°I promise I didn¡¯t know what else to do. ¡± He started, thinking to explain before he shocked her too badly.


    Glen swallowed visibly. She looked at his bloody hands, then back at the door, he could see her straining to hear beyond the wood. ¡°Just show me what¡¯s behind the door first before I have a heart attack...then I¡¯ll let you explain. Ok?¡± She asserted taking a step closer.


    ¡°But...¡± Ezekiel touched her arm to stall her.


    Glen grabbed the doorknob, trying to push it, but Ezekiel held it closed.


    ¡°Open the door.¡± his mother commanded, cutting him a small hiss of expiration.


    ¡°Just let me tell you....¡± Ezekiel tried again, but she wasn¡¯t to be put off.


    ¡°Show me already or I¡¯m going back to bed!¡± Glen snapped at him. She tossed her curly brown hair with her small fingers seemingly indifferent, but Ezekiel knew from the way that her eyes shinned with curiosity that he had her. But for how long would he be able to get her to play along? There really was no way to know.


    Until he gave her what she asked for.


    Ezekiel pushed open the door. He let his mother enter the room ahead of him, then Ezekiel walked in and closed it behind him.


    ***


    Ezekiel knew that the first thing that hit him mother was the smell of blood. Strange blood.


    Why? Because that was the first thing that hit him.


    That damn, burning, warm, alluring scent of blood. But Ezekiel was begging to wonder if he was the only one who found the smell even mildly appealing. From the look on his mother¡¯s face and the way that her hand came up to rub at watering eyes, the smell was too strong for her.


    And his brothers? From Lander, all the way to Walter his siblings all rubbed at their noses in quiet signs of irritation with the mortals scent. But ignoring these things for the moment Ezekiel just waited for his mother to make a move.


    Ezekiel knew that the first thing that his mother saw was the fact that all of his brothers were indeed in that room.


    Shirtless, shoeless, and obviously fresh from patrol. And then her eyes settled on the third and final surprise of the night. The small cot pushed up against the wall far from the door was sporting a hidden body. A thick black sheet pulled up over the mortal¡¯s entire body hid his face, but not his smell.


    ¡°Mom...¡± Nate began steeping towards her, but Glen...staring at the body hidden beneath the sheets put up a stiff hand to silence him. Turning sharp green eyes on Ezekiel she whispered.


    ¡°What¡¯s that....¡± she pointed at the shape on the bed.


    When Ezekiel didn¡¯t answer she glared at each of her sons, demanding answers none of them wanted to utter yet, each of them looking down and away.


    ¡°Please tell me what¡¯s going on...¡± Glen pleaded in a whisper at him. ¡°There¡¯s so much blood. Did you kill someone....?¡± she wrinkled her nose. ¡°God, I¡¯ve never smelled so much blood before.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ezekiel said guessing at her train of thought. ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything to anyone. There was an intruder and I apprehended him.¡± Ezekiel told her walking past her towards the bed. ¡°In fact, Walter and Lander and Nate don¡¯t have anything to do with this. It was all me. I...well...This is what happened to my shoulder. This guy cut me and....¡±


    Ezekiel finished with a shrug. Then he stepped back, grabbed a handful of the black sheet that they had draped over the unconscious mortal to smother his scent, and slowly pulled it up and back bringing the mortal¡¯s pale, thin, dirty face into view. ¡°Is it a mongrel from another Clan? A wolf¡­or maybe some other shifters outcast?¡±


    Instantly Ezekiel¡¯s mother moved gracefully toward the bed. Her skirts flared around her bare ankles and small feet as she rushed over to the stranger beside him. Ezekiel took a step back to let her get closer. Her big green eyes are full of worry, she approached the man, dropped down on her knees beside the bed, and touched his cheek ignoring the blood and layer of dirt smeared there.


    Her right hand had barely brushed the mans pale flesh before she was pulling it back and frowning.


    ¡°Hes got a strange smell. My god...he¡¯s burning up.¡± She peered at the mortal then turned confused, then suspicious eyes on her four sons.


    ¡°His blood smells like a¡­¡± Slowly she began to put the pieces together. ¡°Shifters don¡¯t get fevers...So this is a!? You brought a mortal here!? That¡¯s his blood on you isn¡¯t it Ezekiel?¡± Glen trailed off, her eyes widening in shock then closing in acceptance, she whispered. ¡°Oh god this is bad...¡±

 Chapter 9 - Team Work

    Chapter 9 ¨C Team Work


    Team Work


    All three of Ezekiel''s brothers shared anxious unsure looks.


    Then all of them leveled their eyes at him. As if to say ¡°WE TOLD YOU SO!¡±


    But before Ezekiel could even think of the words his mother opened her eyes.


    Without a word she put a small hand to the mortal¡¯s chest. Then putting a hand to her own wrist she began silently counting the mortals'' pulse. Tight-lipped and not sparing any of them one glance she bit off two words. ¡°Explain this!¡±


    Ezekiel, and all of his brothers were grown men, although Ezekiel had only just turned twenty-three, he was definitely not a child.


    He didn¡¯t fear his parents, or really much when it came to being a Shifter but in that moment......he was totally blown by how much anger one woman could pack into those words. Ezekiel swallowed, looked at Lander''s sneering face, and flipped him off; then he went about recounting the entire story.


    This time leaving nothing out.


    ¡°So, he was already delirious when he attacked you basically? You describe mostly delusional behavior.¡± Glen mused more to herself more them to her sons, then she touched the mortal¡¯s forehead again. ¡°He seems to be suffering from a terrible infection. He could very well have attacked you out of paranoia and illness.¡±


    ¡°So you believe me?¡± Ezekiel asked her. ¡°I don¡¯t think that the attack was planned. He got lucky.¡±


    Glen looked at his shoulder and then hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t like it!! That was one lucky attack that could have killed you.¡± Glen told him, then she shook her head. ¡°But, yes. I see your point. His vitals are so poor. He¡¯s practically on fire from fever, and blood loss is going to take its toll on rationality.¡± Glen shrugged. ¡°I can only speculate, but in the end, it won¡¯t matter if he dies on us.¡±


    Lander ran a hand through his scalp with a snarl. ¡°So you¡¯ll help him!?¡± he asked her coming out of the corner to the center of the room. Glaring at Ezekiel he looked at Walter and spit at him. ¡°Say something here!! You¡¯re the oldest Walter!! Talk to them for me!¡±


    Walter, who was sitting, eyes closed, head tilted back to the wall, and his long legs out before him chuckled mirthlessly. Clam, uninterested brown eyes, opened and looked at them all, as Walter lifted his head and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think you want me to weigh in here Lander.¡± He said softly. ¡°I would not in fact be your supporter. I believe that we do what we need to do, what we want to do....and deal with the consequences later. If death can be prevented it should.¡±


    Nate, who was standing by the door, tossed his hand into the air. ¡°I agree.¡± He said with a wolfish smile at Lander. Then he put his hand back down and said ¡°We should let Mom try to heal the stranger. No matter what...We¡¯ll deal with the Clan rules later.¡±


    Ezekiel smiled at him, then looked at his mother. But she seemed to be in her own world. His hands were shaking slightly as she put her hand on the mortal¡¯s chest. She pulled it back when his shirt made a wet slapping sound beneath her fingers. When she looked at her palm it was dripping with fresh blood. ¡°No,¡± she said softly. ¡°I can¡¯t. This is a Mortal and I¡¯ve never...¡±


    Their mother looked at Ezekiel, then back at the mortal, but she shook her head. She stood up and walked a few steps away from the bed. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. ¡±


    ¡°Because of dad?¡± Ezekiel asked her following behind her until she stopped a few feet away from the bed and turned to him. She put a hand to her hip as she looked at him with a swift eye roll.


    ¡°Ezekiel, I love you father, but the man doesn¡¯t frighten me in the least. In not saying ¡°no¡± because of your Father. ¡± Glen touched his shoulder, as he came up to her. ¡°I can¡¯t do it because I¡¯m not skilled enough, sweetheart. I don¡¯t know if I can save the stranger or if I¡¯ll just end up killing him faster.¡± Glen told him. With a helpless shrug, she walked back over to the bed and motioned to the mortal. ¡°Look at him, listen to that heartbeat, he''s drenched in his own blood.¡± His mother bit her lip. ¡°Mortals are delicate. He¡¯s already got both feet in the grave Ezekiel. I¡¯m a healer, not an angel. And mortals are so...fragile.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know if you can?¡± Nate asked her, striding up to her side and Ezekiels. Two-toned eyes holding her gaze. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that you can¡¯t. And if he dies....we did what we could. Rather than doing nothing and him dying anyway....right?¡±


    Walter threw his hand into the air this time. ¡°I agree.¡± He said with a dry voice.


    Lander rolled his eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Alright.¡± His mother said, turning back to the bed. ¡°I will do what I can, but God Ezekiel this is not going to end well for you or your brothers.¡±


    ¡°Come on. ¡°Ezekiel hissed. ¡°Dad will understand.....don¡¯t you?¡± he asked her. ¡°I know you see that this was important!¡±


    ¡°I do sweetheart....more then you know.¡± Glen said smiling. ¡°But your father is such an alpha male. He won¡¯t take this well. Rules are rules and now there is a mortal here in his home!!? You need to tell him about this. Tonight. He will be here soon anyway.¡±


    ¡°Not if you stall for some time actually.¡± Walter suddenly chimed in with his eyes once more closed. Everyone looked over at him, but he didn¡¯t say anymore.


    ¡°Stall for time? How?¡± Ezekiel asked. But Walter didn¡¯t respond.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ezekiel sighed and looked at Nate. ¡°So we got to stall Dad. Got any ideas?¡± He said to Nate looking for some kind of idea, but Nate was just as helpful as Walter.


    Nate smirked and shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    ¡°UGH!¡± Lander suddenly snarled at them all. ¡°My god! You aren¡¯t gonna stall Dad. He¡¯ll know some things up the moment he can¡¯t locate Mom. The man¡¯s not stupid! You would have to come up with something really good to get him to stay out there all night long, chasing his spotted tail!¡±


    Ezekiel got quiet.


    He knew that Lander was right, but there had to be something that he could do.


    Ezekiel took a moment to think, then he scratched his chin unconsciously, but then he stopped when the smell of copper zapped his nose. Looking down at his hand, he watched the blood of the mortal flaking off of his hands and......got an idea. ¡°One of us could do it.¡± He said suddenly, turning his nose away from his hand and dropping it.


    ¡°We could use the blood scent to lure him out of the village....!¡±


    ***


    A few minutes passed and everyone was still hovering in the room, deciding just what their roles should be in the coming hours.


    Nate¡¯s face scrunched up in doubt after Ezekiel proposed his idea to stall their father with the intruder''s Blood scent. Whit and obsidian eyes peering across the room and out the window at the slightly lighter sky.


    The morning sun was only hours away.


    ¡°Can we really stall him like that? Won¡¯t we just be announcing the mortal¡¯s presence to him? He¡¯s not going to be happy!¡± Nate surmised correctly.


    But Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°Sure but if one of us can keep him going until tomorrow it won¡¯t matter.¡± He pointed out.


    ¡°Ok. So we stall him.¡± Nate smiled.


    ¡°No.¡± Glen snapped at the both of them from her spot next to the bed. ¡°Your father needs to know about this! Stop this nonsense!¡±


    Ezekiel put a hand to his head.


    ¡°Look Mom he¡¯s going to die....¡± He said looking at the mortal. ¡°Just look him over and get him stable. Well, tell dad about all of this tomorrow. Just one night! You promised.¡±


    Glen hissed at him. ¡°I said I would think about it.¡± Then she bent over the mortal and brushed his fevered forehead. ¡°He¡¯s getting hotter. ¡± She said softly. Then she looked at them all. ¡°I¡¯ll need Nate to help me if I do this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nate whined, dropping his smile for the first time that night. He looked kind of pale as he looked over at the mortal too. Ezekiel knew that anything to do with cutting or medicine made his brother skittish. Another mystery about his wolf sibling.


    ¡°Not for the surgery Nate. ¡°Glen assured him quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll just need you to go and get the needles and morphine, then I¡¯ll need your nose for a moment. I won¡¯t ask you to cut anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nate said still looking almost as pale as his white-rimmed left eye.


    ¡°You¡¯ll sniff out the infection in his body and give me an idea of how severe it is, then you¡¯ll go out so I can work on it,¡± Glen told him. She smiled at him encouragingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not gonna split him open in front of you.¡ä She chuckled as Nate crunched up his nose in disgust, then she shot Ezekiel a cool look.


    ¡°But?¡± Glen hissed at Ezekiel now. ¡°Once I stabilize this stranger we WILL tell you father about him. Surely if we tell him tonight I fear that his anger will not allow him to see reason. He will want to move the mortal away, take him to other mortals, but as injured as he is this stranger will likely die in the next few minutes without some sustained care and very little movement.¡± Glen sighed. ¡°One night Ezekiel!¡±


    Then Glen turned back and began braiding up her hair. Ezekiel guessed that she needed it up so that she could work.


    While she did that he turned to Nate again.


    ¡°So even if this mortal survives....how are you gonna hide him even for a few hours!?¡± Nate exhaled looking around. ¡°Dad is so gonna smell this as so as he comes up the stairs. I¡¯m gonna be here so I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°I could do it but....¡± Ezekiel said, then he stopped and looked down at his shoulder. ¡°Dad would smell my blood even more than the mortals. I¡¯ll need more time to heal.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Nate said looking at Ezekiel then looking past him to their other siblings Walter and Lander. ¡°Ask them.¡±


    Nate turned and went to the door. ¡°I¡¯ve got some morphine to pack.¡± He said to Ezekiel then he raised his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy Mom. Do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡°Crushed rose paste for the abrasions on his arms and face as well. Styptic for the bleeding wounds.¡± Glen listened to him, then she stood up from the bed, skirts swishing, hair bound back in an intricate brown braid as she walked into the bathroom doorway. ¡°Be back by the time I¡¯m done sterilizing my hands.¡± She told his brother. Then she was out of sight.


    Nate didn¡¯t waste a moment. Ezekiel barely saw the door open and close behind him.


    Once he was gone Ezekiel swallowed and looked at his eldest brothers. Walter hadn¡¯t moved or said a word since suggesting that they stall their dad. And somehow Ezekiel knew that he wasn¡¯t going to do anything he didn¡¯t want to do.


    But he had to ask.


    Ezekiel turned to Walter. ¡°Walter can you run interference?¡± he asked him from the center of the room. Walter opened his eyes and quirked an eyebrow at him.


    Walter looked back at him silently, then simply closed his eyes and put his head back on the wall again. ¡°No.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving this spot until that intruder has a needle in his arm.¡±


    With a groan, Ezekiel turned away from him. He knew that asking Walter again would only get him the exact same answer. He wasn¡¯t going to leave the mortal alone with their mother or without an escort until he was ready.


    And suddenly Ezekiel was faced with a choice. He outlined his options to himself.


    Shit. Nate¡¯s helping Mom get the morphine and gauze. I¡¯m a bloody mess. Walters being stubborn......so that leaves...


    Ezekiel groaned again, then knowing that he had to suck it up, he walked away from the bed and towards Lander. Lander was leaning back in the corner again, actually watching him as well.


    Not wasting his energy on engaging in a glaring contest Ezekiel quickly crossed the room, took a shoulder to the wall beside Landers, and just said what he needed to say.


    ¡°Lander......will YOU PLEASE run interference with dad?¡± he asked.


    And with a hiss, Lander surprised him by smiling darkly. ¡°Ok...maybe I¡¯ll help a little bit. But only because I can see how scared shitless you are by the thought of Dad walking into this house tonight. ¡±


    Ezekiel flashed his fangs at him. ¡°So you¡¯re helping us now....why? Mood swings much?¡± He teased. Knowing that he was looking at a gift horse in the mouth and not caring.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up. ¡± Lander hissed at him. His eyes flash with light for a slip seconds. ¡°I guess I¡¯m helping...but only because moms a part of this shit show now. She needs time to work her magic right?¡±


    Turning a shirtless back to him. Then making his way out of the room Lander added almost as an afterthought. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s because I plan on leading Dad right back here anyway so he can kill that filthy eyesore? Who knows?¡±


    Before Ezekiel could even think to respond, Lander was out of the door.


    ¡°Asshole.¡± Ezekiel sighed to himself, then jumped when a cold thought spiked into his head cutting like a nail in his left temple.


    You forgot to tell me thank you, little brother.....be greatful.


    Lander hissed in his head, then the cold started to slip away.


    With an impotent yowl under his breath, Ezekiel rolled his eyes at his brother. Then he opened the door and hissed at his brother¡¯s shadow going down the hallway. ¡°Stay the hell out of my head, Lander!¡±


    Ezekiel thought he heard a phantom of a laugh in his thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t have been sure as the cold faded away completely.

 Chapter 10 - Hell

    Chapter 10 ¨C Hell


    Someone was touching him.


    Brandon felt it all over his skin, no he sensed it. Eyes. Hands. Something wet and slimy spread on his flesh.


    His breathing was so slow that he couldn¡¯t hear anything but the thrumming pain spreading out of his stomach into every inch of his body.


    His skin was too tight, it was melting. It was popping. His eyes itched. Nothing felt solid. The earth rolled.


    The thoughts that tried to take hold slipped and ran away from him like spoiled eggs.


    And the cold......he felt the cold like thrones beneath his clothes. Grating on every nerve like nails. Ripping. It stabbed all throughout him. Borrowing into his stomach and spine. But....there was also the wet feeling all over him. In the darkness his entire body seemed to torture him. But the worst pain was coming from his lower body. It was like someone was knawing on his guts.


    But still. He sensed the hands on him. The eyes on his face. Voices talking over him.


    Muffled, distorted voices. And the light was so far. It drifted so far away from him that Brandon knew that he didn¡¯t have the strength to open his eyes and take it in.


    Hands pressed on his skin made him angry. Made him terrified. But he couldn¡¯t move. It hurt just to scream inside of his own head. And these hands....were not hurting him. They just touched him. His face. His arms. And where they went, something wet and warm was left behind.


    Who are you?


    What do you want?


    Brandon moaned to himself, wishing that he had even the will to force his lips apart. But the pain just sucked him down and the cold crawled around inside of him like spiders.


    He didn¡¯t know where he was....but maybe this was Hell. And it was all that he deserved.


    ***


    Ezekiel closed his eyes slowly and stretched his arms to the side. A giant yawn cracked his teeth, but his claws played an anxious beat on his forearms as he crossed them.


    He was camped out on the floor outside of the room where he had left his mother Glen to tend to the mortal¡¯s dire wounds.


    In truth, their mother had almost bodily thrown her sons out of the room. After Nate helped her spread salve all along the mortals¡¯ arms, and Ezekiel helped her wrap them in gauze, she swiftly escorted them all, even Walter, to the hall and closed the door in their faces.


    And after that the moments had slid into minutes, then bled into an hour and still the door stayed closed.


    And in the time that passed Ezekiel and his brothers were wrapped in anxious silence.


    Nate passed the time humming a soft tune to himself, with a carefree air about him that Ezekiel envied.


    While Walter stood like a stone statue beside the door with his head cocked to the side. His face was unreadable, but Ezekiel could tell that he was using his sense to reach beyond the door. To listen to their mother as she worked on the mortals wounds without them.


    And Lander was out there in the darkness somewhere with their Father, hopefully keeping his dad out on the outskirts of their Lands; chasing the blood scent left behind on Lander''s clothes and skin after being near the mortal.


    Or he could be selling you out....


    A small voice said to him.


    Ezekiel sighed and pushed that thought away.


    He knew that Lander, a moody prick though he was, was also a man who he could count on to do the right thing. Even if he sometimes pretended like he didn¡¯t know what that was. And Ezekiel also knew that there wasn¡¯t anything that he could do about his father now.


    He could still feel the slight trickle of power draining out of his core and settling around the wound in his shoulder that the stranger had given him only a few hours ago.


    It would take more time before the beast within Ezekiel was done healing him and that meant that he needed to rest. Ezekiel fought it for a while....but as he sat on the carpet next to Nate everything began to fade. His eyes grew heavy, and his head slipped down to his chest...


    It came without warning. An instant and then chaos swallowed their home.


    WHOOSH! BANG!


    Suddenly the sound of crashing thunder filled the entire home. The sound of shaking wood broke Ezekiel from the cocoon of sleep, followed by the roar of something big....and very male.


    ***


    The house thrummed with tension. It sat on them all thicker then air.


    ¡°What was that? ¡°Ezekiel mumbled half a second later, quickly climbing to his feet and staring down the hallway. But the stairs beyond were where the roar had actually echoed from.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Nate and Walter crowed around him and Nate hit him on the shoulder. ¡°OH, that?¡± He said with a cool chuckle. ¡°That was the sound of the shit hitting the fan.¡±


    ¡°Dad seems to have discovered that there is something amiss.¡± Walter rumbled from beside the door. His warm eyes reflected neither fear or worry. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time now.¡±


    ¡°But how!?¡± Ezekiel hissed at them unconsciously quelling his voice as though that would somehow keep his father from locating them just a little bit longer. ¡°What happened? Landers so useless he was supposed to keep dad occupied!¡±


    ¡°Looks like Dad really can¡¯t be distracted the whole night.¡± Nate shrugged, not bothering to lower his voice a single octave.


    ¡°Hey...he didn¡¯t sound very happy about the little goose chase you sent him on Ezekiel. Walter sad casting him a disappointed look. ¡°You know? Stalling him really was a bad idea.¡±


    Ezekiel snarled at him in disgust. ¡°It was your stupid idea, Walter!¡±


    Suddenly the door behind them whooshed open and there was his mother. Her hair braided back, her dress smeared with dirt, and water and blood looked considerably less elegant then it had before and her hands in front of her were wrapped in a thick cloth that was almost stained bloody red. But she seemed pleased with herself and completely unmoved by the roar of her husband.


    She finished wiping her hands and cast them all one grim glance and raised her eye brows. ¡°Well.¡± She said to them, slapping the towel over her right shoulder. ¡°You had better get ready. I told you that this wouldn¡¯t end well.¡± Glen sighed and turned back into the room, her stained dress still swirling out around her, holding the bedroom door open she looked back at them and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. ¡± She told them. ¡°Get in here. Since he''s already in a lather nothing is gonna stop him from getting into this room. You know he¡¯ll be up here any minute and I can¡¯t be leaving my patient to have a family meeting in the hall.¡± She finished and slipped further into the room and out of sight.


    Ezekiel looked at his brothers shrugged and followed her inside.


    The moment he came into the room his eyes traveled to where the bloody mortal still laid. Slumbering and still filthy, but now he had bandages wrapped around his arms and a giant patch on the side of his temple. Multiple bloody rags sat in a heap on the floor beside the bed, but for the most part, the mortal was still a dirty mess.


    So much so that his face was still a general mystery to Ezekiel. But still he couldn¡¯t help looking. And Once again Ezekiel was overpowered by the mortals smell and had to pause just indie of the door to catch his breath as the smell of the stranger''s blood, shot down into his lungs and coated them in a mild stinging warmth.


    Dammit! Why does his blood affect me like this!


    Ezekiel snarled to himself as he felt the warmth spreading in his mouth and across his tongue. The beast inside growled and pushed at him slightly, he felt his teeth starting to itch in their gums.


    What¡¯s wrong with me?


    Ezekiel chocked and coughed, caught off guard for a second. Not paying him any particular attention, Walter quietly brushed past him.


    While Nate slapped him on the back and put an arm around his neck. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked him as he pulled him into the center of the room. His eyes gazed at Ezekiel as though he could see into his mind.


    Ezekiel let Nate pull him as he put a hand to his nose, trying to block out the exciting smell pulling on his senses.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh No! You¡¯re not!¡± Lander suddenly hissed from behind them all.


    Startled Ezekiel and Nate spun around, but to their surprise, they came face to face with their father who was standing in the open door way.


    ¡°I''m only going to ask this ONE TIME...Why do I smell mortal blood in my home!? He growled under his breath as he continued to stand in the outside threshold. All of his six foot eleven body blocked the exit. ¡°What¡¯s going on in here?¡±


    Ezekiel''s first thought was to step closer to Nate and Walter. Futilely trying to block the mortal from his father¡¯s view and for a few moment¡¯s it worked.


    Mantilo, their father, was a large man especially compared to Ezekiel¡¯s small mother.


    He was even bigger than his oldest son Walter. And when Ezekiel looked at him it was easy to see how he unlike their mom had given them all a huge helping of testosterone.


    As their Clans Leader, he had to be strong and his physical strength was readily apparent in his long legs, barreled chest, muscled arms and stomach that completely filled out his white t-shirt and jeans. But the strength that he possessed was noticeable in other ways too. In more profound ways. It was in his presence. His stature.


    The command was in his long rounded chin and shaved head. His hair was jet black, cut nearly to the scalp at the sides and six long inches at the top and back, and pulled into a neck length ponytail. Sharp eyes, were glowing a hot golden, but his eyes were normally a warm blackish brown when his inner beast was under wraps. His stern mouth opened on a hiss of outrage flashing all of them with a mouth full of fang.


    A sound and sight that Ezekiel and all of his brothers knew far too well. A top predator sizing up his prey.


    Unfortunately, they managed to upset their father quite often and now as he stood in the light of the hall, his eyes glowing a bright yellow. Ezekiel fought to remind himself that he wasn¡¯t a little kid waiting to be scolded anymore.


    I don¡¯t care what he says I''ve done nothing wrong.


    Ezekiel told himself seriously.


    ¡°Ok, so no one wants to answer that question?.¡± Mantilo growled and stepped further into the room.


    Then he reached back and grabbed something from behind the door. Suddenly Lander was there, being shoved bodily into the room. And he looked terrible.


    ¡°Next question. Does anyone want to explain this to me then? He stinks of mortal blood.¡±


    Ezekiel felt himself wilt on the inside. Walter and Nate all froze like deer caught in very angry headlights. But somehow it was Lander who shattered the unimaginable tension. With a hesitant limp, he circled from the hall, and past their father and into the middle of the room.


    Ezekiel¡¯s first reaction was to slug him, but he was instantly brought up short as he looked at his elder brother¡¯s current state. Landers blond hair was messy and filled with dead pine needles. His jeans and upper body were splattered with fresh grass and dirt. And his bottom lip was busted wide open and swollen up two sizes.


    ¡°Oh Good God!¡± Ezekiel laughed forgetting how dire his situation really was for a few seconds. He looked Lander up from head to toe and sneered at him ¡°Damn! He beat your ass Lander!!¡±


    ¡°Fub you Ezekiel!¡± Lander snarled around his busted lip. His every few words distorted and slurred as he tried to talk around the swelling. ¡°You¡¯re the one who came up wit the shit-ass plan to wave the mortal''s smell around him.¡± Lander put a hand to his mouth and winced as he poked at his swollen lips. ¡°I nearly gob mauled to death because of you!¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Walter suddenly chimed in. ¡°Maybe you should have run faster Lander?¡±


    Nate snarled, his teeth flashing in an arrogant sneer. ¡°Yeah, I think he wanted to get caught, hes such a suck up!¡± he said to Lander walking up to him.


    ¡°What do yo know you mangy mutt? You cant be calling me a liar when your....!¡± Lander tried to hiss and took a threatening step closer to Nate who snarled back.


    ¡°ENOUGH!!!!!!¡± Mantilo barked loudly as he barged into the circle and shoved his son''s back.


    Suddenly Glen marched into the fray. ¡°Mantilo calm down!¡± she hissed at him. But it was then that Mantilo zeroed in on the occupied bed that she had left behind her.


    ¡°No...Is that what I think it is!?¡± Mantilo breathed casting a glare about the room at his family and his glowing golden eyes demanded an answer.

 Chapter 11 - Disrespect

    Chapter 11 - Disrespect


    ¡°Dad wait...¡± Ezekiel began.


    Mantilo walked forward, snarled, and pushed Ezekiel aside.


    Ezekiel stumbled to the side and let him pass as he bit his lip anxiously. He knew making a move to defend the man would only lead him to a worse fate.


    Mantilo went closer to the mortal¡¯s body. He feared what his dad would do, but Ezekiel also knew that trying to stop the man was pointless.


    ¡°A mortal? Are you insane!?¡° He growled approaching the stranger in the bed. Mantilo looked over the feverish, slumbering moral and clenched his fists at his sides. Ezekiel could sense his anger and unease growing as he spoke. ¡°Get him out of here! We need to take him back to his kind!¡±


    Ezekiel looked at his mother and then back at his dad with a wince. ¡°We can¡¯t do that...¡± He tried to say. He tried to tell his dad that the mortal wasn¡¯t in any condition to be moved, but Mantilo growled at him, cutting him off.


    ¡°You can¡¯t!? Fine then! I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Mantilo barked.


    ¡°Mantilo don¡¯t!¡± His mother gasped running over to the bed.


    But faster than anyone in the room could react his father wrapped a heavy hand around the mortals neck and unceremoniously started to rip him from the covers. The mortal¡¯s entire body was limp as a rag doll as his father tried to lift him from the bed and into the air by his thin throat.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Lander slurred over his busted lip.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Nate tried to interject.


    Ezekiel''s hand was wrapped around his father¡¯s wrist faster than he even knew what he was doing. ¡°Let him go! Dad, you¡¯re gonna crush him!¡± Ezekiel hissed as he squeezed his Fathers wrist and snarled at him, his neck felt a flsuh of heat as his inner beasts heckles rose. Unbidden Ezekiel felt his inner beast rising to the challenge, challenging their father, something he never dreamed he would do in a million years.


    Mantilo roared back in his son''s defiant face.


    ¡°Stop it both of you! Mantilo put my patient down before you kill him!!¡± Glen slapped her hands into his father''s chest and somehow her words more than Ezekiels aggressive behavior seemed to get his attention.


    ¡°Your patient!?¡± Mantilo hissed still holding the lifeless mortal a few inches off the mattress. And despite Ezekiels attempts to turn his wrist free of the mortal, his dad wouldn¡¯t release his hold.


    ¡°Yes, my patient!¡± Glen hissed at a man that no other man in their village dared to take that tone with. She put her hands on her small hips and growled right back at him. ¡°You are gonna make him more anemic if you don¡¯t put him down!¡±


    Mantilo scoffed and blinked at her. He seemed at a loss for words. Ezekiel wisely decided to let her continue to talk to him.


    ¡°Woman have you lost your mind!¡± Mantilo finally growled at his mother.


    ¡°Well....¡± Glen sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure at this moment, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡± She pointed to the mortal hanging before him. ¡°He needs medical attention so I gave it to him. That makes him my patient. My responsibility.¡±


    Using his free hand his father grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back from the bed. ¡°So, you brought this outsider in here!?¡±


    ¡°No! I wasn¡¯t the one who brought him here!¡± Glen snarled back just as fiercely. ¡°But I am gonna treat him, so put him the hell down Mantilo. RIGHT NOW!!¡±


    Without a word Mantilo let the mortal fall back onto the mattress like a useless sack. Ezekiel wince and tried to reach out, but faster than he could react his dad, turned and snatched him by the arm.


    ¡°If your Mother didn¡¯t bring him here...¡± Mantilo hissed turning on his son. And shoving him away from the mortal by his arm ¡°Which one of you did it!?¡±


    ¡°Yeb Ezekiel....who was it that wanted to bring the mortal here again?¡± Lander taunted him. His words were still distorted by his fat lip.


    ¡°Shut up you rotten asshole....!¡± Nate growled at him.


    Only for Walter to stop him with a silent hand on his arm.


    Walter cast Ezekiel a steady, serious look and Ezekiel knew that he let this drag on long enough. He needs to explain himself and stop stalling.


    So with a tight deep breath, and ignoring the ants crawling across his skin. He opened his mouth and confessed.


    ¡°I did it. I brought the mortal here Clan Head.¡± Ezekiel sighed, pulling away from his father, who snarled and threw his arm at him.


    ¡°You did this!!¡± Mantilo growled, stepping towards him. His golden eyes actually grew even brighter as his fury reached new heights. But before Ezekiel could come up with a response his mother grabbed his giant bicep.


    ¡°Mantilo listen to him!¡± She tried to tell him.


    ¡°God I can¡¯t believe I tried to stop you from doing this!¡± Lander slurred a little, a smug smirk trying to form on his busted mouth. ¡°This has to be the most fun I¡¯ve had in weeks!!¡±


    ¡°Lander seriously shut The Hell UP!!!¡± Ezekiel hissed in fury at his brother and this time Lander actually did stop speaking. But his swollen smirk hadn¡¯t fallen off his face.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Mantilo asked him then, starting to crowd him. His anger filled up the entire room almost, but Ezekiel didn¡¯t move back. He had made a choice. He had brought the mortal here and now he had to stand by that choice and take the heat.


    But suddenly his mother had had enough.


    "Mantilo stop being so dramatic!¡± She shouted, pulling on his arm. ¡°The boys been stabbed for god¡¯s sake. All your yelling and pushing us going to reopen his wounds!!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Ezekiel and Nate both moaned in unison. Walter shook his head. Ezekiel closed his eyes and put a hand to his scalp and swiped his hair back. ¡°He really didn¡¯t need to know about that!


    ¡°Opps?¡± Glen mumbled softly stepping back and lapsing into silence.


    ¡°Is that true!? Tell me? Did this outsider attack you was he hunting you?¡±


    Ezekiel hesitated. Mantilo snarled and shoved him into the center of the room; ignoring his mother¡¯s aggravated hiss. ¡°Talk!! Now!!¡±


    ¡°Yes!!¡± Ezekiel hissed back. ¡°Yes the mortal attacked me, but....¡±


    ¡°And you brought him here to the village, a threat!?¡± Mantilo turned on his older brothers. ¡°You let him bring him here!?¡± he accused them.


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t let him. ¡°No.¡± He inserted. ¡°I made them go along with this. I thought that...!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you thought!!¡± Mantilo growled over him. ¡°We don¡¯t bring outsiders into our home! We have very few visits from other Shifters, but Mortals never come here! WE do not allow THEM into the village! There are far too many things that could go wrong...These people are fragile and yet emotional beyond explanation, some of them hunt Shifters for trade you know this!!¡±


    Mantilo snarled in frustration looking back at the bed where Glen had quietly managed to put the mortals head back onto the pillows. Mantilo looked back at Ezekiel, then leaned forward and sniffed the air slightly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t smell the blood on you when I first came in, but I can smell it now. He bled you, good boy, he struck you in the chest, a killing blow for most.¡± Mantilo hissed, opening and closing his fist beside his leg.


    ¡°This outsider could be here to kill us. Hunt us! Did you consider that after he struck you with his blade? How on earth did you ever think that bringing someone who stabbed you into our home, near your Mother was a good idea?¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head. ¡°I know that it sounds bad, but at the time it seemed like a good idea to me.¡± Ezekiel started to explain quickly, not wanting his dad to cut him off again. ¡°He did stab me, but he¡¯s sick! Can¡¯t you smell it?¡± Ezekiel asked, knowing that all of them could smell the blood-saturated air in the room. ¡°I honestly think he attacked me by accident, because of his injuries.¡±


    ¡°Smell?¡± Mantilo hissed at him, seeming confused. ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything, but blood.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything either.¡± Nate chipped in unnecessarily.


    While Walter shrugged.


    Wait does that mean that they can¡¯t smell what IM smelling?


    Ezekiel wondered to himself. Then he asked all of them ¡°You¡¯re not picking up on an odd scent, like pepper?¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Nope. ¡± Walter said looking at his mother. Then at Lander.


    ¡°I can¡¯t smell anything!¡± Lander slurred as he swaggered up to the side of the bed. ¡°This mortal is filthy. He snuck into the forest, attacked you and it clear hes not bathed...¡± Lander paused and leaned over the mortal¡¯s head. He inhaled deeply; then with an explosive snot and a head shake, he moved back to show his displeasure with what he had just inhaled. ¡°He just stinks of rot and sweat to me.¡±


    ¡°He seems to be suffering from fever dreams. He must also have a very extensive internal infection.¡± Glen said sharing her personal diagnosis for the stranger. ¡°But his blood and body don¡¯t smell particularly strange to me either Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of drug that I¡¯m smelling then?¡± Ezekiel questioned himself softly.


    He put it out there only because he knew that everyone else in the room was thinking about it. The mortal was thin, emaciated, wearing tattered clothing, and on death doorstep.


    Drugs were a likely culprit for the stranger¡¯s distress excluding the strange man¡¯s torn-up body, but somehow Ezekiel found that he doubted that what he was smelling was dug residue in the stranger''s blood.


    For one thing, the smell of drugs would never get him so riled up.


    ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Nate said swiftly making his way to the mortal¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯ve got a better nose then all of you cats combined. ¡°Nate quipped walking over to the bed once Lander had stepped away from it. He leaned down over the unconscious mortal, picked up the stranger''s arm and inhaled just above the mortal¡¯s wrist.


    He took a few seconds to linger like he was searching for something, only for him to shake his hand a moment later and look over at Ezekiel with a shrug.


    ¡°His scent is a little strange I guess.¡± He exhaled softly as he placed the mortals hand back at his side. ¡°It¡¯s the infection I believe and he also seems to be really malnourished. ¡± Nate shook his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t smell anything in his blood that¡¯s corrosive or nasty. I doubt that he¡¯s got anything like crack or heroin pumping in his veins. He must just be sick for another reason.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Mantilo hissed at them all, grabbing Nate¡¯s arm and pulling him away from the bed the way he had Ezekiel.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you want to know what brought him out here? Or why he attacked Ezekiel? Or even where he came from?¡± Walter questioned Mantilo calmly.


    ¡°No,i dont.¡± Mantilo told them. ¡°I just want him removed.¡± Mantilo shook his head. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what possessed you to do this.¡± He said to Ezekiel.


    Ezekiel rolled his eyes, and hissed at the ceiling ¡°Oh for god¡¯s sake! It¡¯s like I¡¯m surrounded by people I don¡¯t even know! Since when do we turn our back on other creatures just because we don¡¯t like them? Dad I saw you get your arm ripped open yesterday while you were trying to free a moose from a bog!¡± Ezekiel sighed. ¡°So he stabbed me. So he¡¯s mortal. We can still help him.¡±


    Mantilo snarled suddenly. ¡°Ezekiel this is not about him just being mortal. All things that traverse this earth should be respected and above all understood, but to bring him in here even though you knew that he was dangerous. You knew that I wouldn¡¯t like it and you went around my back, you acted in opposition as if you do not respect me!!!¡±


    Ezekiel bit his lip. He didn¡¯t have much to say in defense, because that was exactly what he had done.


    Mantilo hissed at him. ¡°Then you drag your brothers down with you. You even pulled your mother into all of this!¡±


    ¡°Well actually, I chose to help on my own. I was all in to save the man so yeah theres that part.....¡± Glen quipped at him.


    But his father just continued to speak over her. ¡°Then....¡± He chuckled looking over at Lander. ¡°Then you what!? Sent Lander out there smelling of mortal to keep me distracted? You fools!?¡±


    ¡°Well, we all kind of thought that you would...you know, kill the mortal on sight or something.¡± Nate shrugged. ¡°So we had to keep you busy for a while...¡± Nate hedged on all of their behalf, not just Ezekiels. ¡°But...You should know that Lander happily volunteered for the job. He was so happy to do it, Dad that he practically begged to do it.¡± He quipped. "It was so nice to see him being so supportive foe once." Then he cast Lander a triumphant look.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Lander hissed in outrage, the slurs becoming less and less noticeable as his swelling lip began to deflate and heal up.


    Mantilo took a deep breath. ¡°Stop. You feared I would kill him?¡± Mantilo asked them then shook his head. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t have killed him. Even though killing would have been my first instinct after he stabbed you.¡± His father growled looking at Ezekiel. ¡°Still my first action would have been a rational one. I would have taken the mortal, back towards the closest mortal city. Back to his own kind.¡±


    ¡°But that was what we knew you would do, and the mortal would have died if you had found him here and moved him there.¡± Walter quietly explained.


    ¡°To get the mortal here, they had to move the mortal, and in doing so, his wounds further tore and more blood was lost. Anymore movement and the mortal would have gone into shock and died. ¡°Glen said backing up their point.


    ¡°Fine.....fine!¡± Mantilo began after a short silent pause between them all, which made Ezekiel hold his breath. ¡°I guess I believe your claims. I would have turned the mortal out the moment I saw him, but now that he is under my roof and I can¡¯t move him without killing him right now. He will remain.¡±


    Mantilo looked at Glen, then at the mortal, and rolled his eyes. ¡°For now just forget about his scent and where he came from.¡± Mantilo waved his hand. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about what ails the man. He¡¯s troubles are not ours and as soon as he wakes up I¡¯m kicking him off of my land.¡±


    ¡°Dad...¡± Ezekiel began only for his father to hiss loudly and glare at him.


    ¡°Ezekiel be quiet!?¡± he growled shutting him down completely with his stern snarl. ¡°You are not off the hook!!¡±


    ¡°My God how many times do I have to say it? He was going to die!¡± Ezekiel shouted forgetting for the moment that he was seriously lucky that he didn¡¯t look like Lander yet. But he knew that what he had done wasn¡¯t something that he should feel bad about.


    He was proud that he had saved the stranger. No matter what his father may have said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that jaunty fucking tone with me, boy!¡± Mantilo roared sounding more and more like a beast and less like a man. ¡°Life is sacred. I¡¯m the one that taught you to value it!! So don¡¯t assume that I have forgotten this rule, but there is so much about this that is wrong and you are so young and naive to how our species interact.¡± Mantilo elaborated pointing to the bed.


    ¡°Mortals and Shifters operate differently...... But saving the life of someone who tried to kill you is idiotic by any Shifter''s standards. He tried to kill you!! And you are neither a slow Shifter nor a weak one.¡± Mantilo pointed out. ¡°So I don¡¯t care how sick he is now, that attack on you took some real power and probably a lot of skill for a plain old mortal to muster. He¡¯s not just a run-of-the-mill intruder and I wont take the chance that he is.¡±


    Mantilo shook his head. ¡°When he gets up....he¡¯s gone. Do you understand me!?¡±


    ***


    After Mantilos hard words everyone shared a swift look. But it was Ezekiel that spoke next.


    ¡°Fine¡± Ezekiel groaned running a hand down his face in aggravation and surrender. ¡°Until he wakes up, I¡¯ll just keep an eye on him.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Mantilo shouted then leveled glowing slit eyes at each of his sons. Using the Shifter in him to quell their rebellious natures. ¡°No one is going near that stranger again after tonight except me or you mother.¡±


    This time Ezekiel wisely held his tongue and none of his brother made a move to object either.


    Mantilo blinked swiftly, and between on blink and the next his glowing eyes faded back to normal. ¡°For now let¡¯s leave the stranger in your mother''s care.¡± Mantilo shook his head as he looked back over at the stranger lying in the bed before he turned to his wife. ¡°So what do you need to properly care of the mortals wounds Glen?¡±


    Glen who had returned to the mortal¡¯s side and was sitting on the floor next to the bed, now turned away from a tray full of bloody towels, and shredded cloth that Ezekiel could see was a pair of ratty decimated shoes.


    The blood painted strings and white cloth sat beside her with a carving blade and he realized that his mother must have had to cut them off of the intruder¡¯s feet.


    Glen paused. Then she looked back at his father and said. ¡°Well if he¡¯s going to live...I need to do surgery. So I¡¯ll need a new pack of needles and thread. Preferably surgical grade and sterile. Glen looked out of the one window in the room as she continued.


    Ezekiel glanced that way as she talked and was surprised to see the sky lightening in soft oranges and blues as the sun began to rise somewhere on the opposite side of the sky.


    ¡°The best place to find those things will be over in the southern part of the village with Kim. I¡¯ve packed the wound with gauze and sewed up the sides of his gut to hold in and slow the blood, but he¡¯s just going to keep bleeding until I can close some of those larger veins and arteries that got slashed, by whatever it was.....¡± Glen turned her lips to the side as she looked at Mantilo.


    ¡°How soon do you need it?¡± Mantilo asked her dryly.


    Glen pursed her small mouth, then smacked her lips and rolled her large green eyes at him. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know...How¡¯s about before the mortal bleeds to death on the bed.¡± She bit off seeming bothered with his father¡¯s tone of voice. ¡°So preferably getting it in the next few hours if you don¡¯t feel to put out and want to waste more time shouting!¡±


    ¡°Hold it, Glen.¡± Mantilo began glaring at her. ¡°Don¡¯t take that tone with me. Let¡¯s not forget who was helping our son hide all of this from me just a few short minutes ago!¡± Mantilo snapped at her, eyes beginning to glow again.


    Glen took one look at him and just laughed.


    Ezekiels breath caught in his throat when she then went right up to her husband; a man who outweighed here by a good 170 pounds and poked....poked him in the chest.


    ¡°Lay off!¡± She hissed at him. ¡°I will not sit here and let you condemn me for helping someone. Nor will I be talked to like I¡¯m just another one of your Clans Men. I¡¯m your wife!¡± She said then pointed at the larger room. ¡°These are our sons. And this mortal is currently dying in front of us.¡± Glen dropped her hand. ¡°So the longer that I sit here babysitting you five pussy cats is another moment that he won¡¯t make it! ¡±


    As Glen spoke here large green eyes began shrinking and lengthening, and a dark green florescence touched her iris almost making it glow, but not fully. His mother never got to that point unless she was about to Shift completely.


    The eyes of a simmering Leopard taking over, she growled at Mantilo. Her small frame began to thrum with Shift energy that popped warmly in the air, but didn¡¯t expand.


    ¡°The man that I love very much is a caring, compassionate father! Not some big unruly ape who throws his fangs around the one time something doesn¡¯t go his way!¡± She continued then narrowed her eyes at Ezekiel, who like his brothers was standing back in utter silence and shock.


    She hissed and stomped past his father before Mantilo had a chance to regroup and when she made it to Glen downright roared in Ezekiel¡¯s face.


    The Leopard in him quelled at her expression of parental fury. Ezekiel averted his gaze and looked down. Ezekiel didn¡¯t mind looking away too much, because In the Shifter world, much like the animal kingdom, to look down or away from another Shifter was a sign of respect and of submission.


    ¡°Ezekiel you will never let anything like this happen again!! Do you understand me!¡± His mother began. ¡°How dare you! This will be the final time that you purposely circumvent your father or ignore the rules. He is not only your Father, but he is a Clan Head to us all. Our leader!! And you¡¯ve got to learn to mind your place beneath him! You aren¡¯t as immature as you act. You have wisdom and strength. Start using it!!!¡± Glen sighed. ¡°I would never ask you to ignore your heart or turn your back on someone in need, but you know damn well that the choice should have been your father''s to make. You should have gone straight to him, instead of doing as you pleased. Your disrespect was a blow to him.¡±


    Feeling like he had to once again state the obvious Ezekiel went to open his mouth.


    ¡°And if you even try to utter that lie again I''ll slap you.¡± Glen told him swiftly seemingly reading his mind. Lander snickered. Glen¡¯s eyes shifted off of him to glare at his sibling to the far left of him. Landers shoulders were shaking with mirth as he snickered behind his hand.


    ¡°Stop that Lander.¡± She hissed at her blond-haired son. ¡°Laughing at him is not making this any easier.¡±


    Glen looked back at Ezekiel. ¡°Your father is a good man, as you well know! So I don¡¯t want to hear it! You were wrong, even if what you wanted to do was right! So deal with it, and do as he tells you.¡± Glen took a deep breath, turned, and sighed.


    ¡°Now would you ALL kindly get out of this room? I¡¯ve got some sterilizing to do.¡± She said waving a hand at them over her shoulder. ¡°Now shoo. And pray that you have an uneventful day, because last night just about killed ME!¡±


    Quietly Ezekiel agreed with her. And he had a feeling that all of his brothers and father probably did too.

 Chapter 12 - Off The Hook

    Chapter 12-  Off The Hook


    ¡°Haa ha... No one can cut through the bullshit like Mom.¡± Nate breathed out happily with a bemused smile pointed up at the ceiling as he walked down the hall with his brothers.


    Their father Mantilo, his back wider and more rigid than any of theirs marched before them, leading them down the hall away from the second floor.


    They were finally leaving Glen with the mortal and heading back to the front door for all that Ezekiel could guess. Heading down the spiral staircase, which muffled their footsteps as thick brown carpet bounced beneath their bare feet.


    ¡°Yup...¡± Walter mumbled from far to the right. A rare smirk touched his grim mouth then was gone the next second.


    ¡°Did you see her eyes?¡± Lander sighed. His lip was finally back to normal size, but Ezekiel could still see the cut on his bottom lip. Putting his arms behind his head and holding them there by the wrists as he walked Lander said. ¡°Man it¡¯s been months since I¡¯ve seen mom that close to the Shift! I swear to god I thought she was going to go full Leopard and paddle the lot of us.¡±


    ¡°Shut up...¡± Ezekiel snorted, even as he somehow managed to smile.


    Ezekiel and the rest of his brothers managed the next few minutes of the walk in silence, as they finally reached the end of the stair case, turned down another much shorter one and finally hit the bottom floor.


    After a little more walking Mantilo lead his sons to the front door and the small parlor connected to it.


    The entrance into the house was a giant box that could have been a room all on its own. Painted in warm, slightly reddish brows like the rest of the Mansion and lightly furnished it could have been the walk-in to a hospital, except for the various painting and portraits that showed off each of the members of Ezekiels family.


    The front door was a large rectangle of beautifully finished, dark heavy wood that often swung effortlessly open and closed, while carved deep into the wood about eye level for Ezekiel where five giant diamonds sat in a singular row cut from bright red stained glass.


    Three small coffee tables, made of polished mahogany lined each of the wall to the right and left of the door a few inches back from the door panels. They were waist high and each had a giant vase full of water, lilacs, pine needles and sweet grass. The fragrance was stark, but so subtle and calming that most couldn¡¯t help, but take in a deep breath and feel...better.


    Ezekiel knew that the flowers came from his mother¡¯s personal garden far to the south of the mansion and he knew that since they often had visitors from the surrounding villages, who would often be dealing with some neighborly dispute his mother took strides to alleviate any stress that they may be feeling when they come to their Clean Head for advice.


    Watching as his father cracked open the door softly and knowing what was coming next, Ezekiel forced his feet to follow his brothers out onto the front porch. But felling in desperate need of stress relief Ezekiel found himself taking an extra three breaths of the sweet scent before he closed the door behind himself.


    The morning dawn was just kissing the cool air, and as it danced across his face and chest Ezekiel shivered as the sweat that he had on his back and chest rapidly cooled.


    Ezekiel watched Nate close his dual-colored eyes and smile up into the sunlight, as though he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    While Lander hissed and with a predictable scowl on his face, he wrapped his arms around his bare chest and tried to keep himself warm.


    Walter didn¡¯t react to the cold for all that Ezekiel could see, and Mantilo was already walking down the porch steps silently taking in the leagues and leagues of knee-high grass and snakelike dirt paths that lay all across his people''s Lands.


    The morning sun winked off the dark shadows and hills and as Ezekiel took in the sheer vastness of his home made the beast inside kind of purr in satisfaction.


    In the south, west and easterly directions Ezekiel could just make out the small town-like buildings positioned at the far corners of their Clans Land¡¯s. Each of the towns were filled with his father''s Clans Men and women. Leopards that followed his father and mother. The villages were barely noticeable in the early dawn, but Ezekiel knew that each of them was quite large and housed families just as large as his own.


    And then miles and miles outside of that, there was this giant band of pine trees that wrapped around the whole of their Lands. Thick, dense, and wild, the pine forest stretched all around and bled off into the northern mountain tops far in the tier of their home.


    Mantilo took a healthy inhale of the pine-scented earth all around him, then walked off the porch and traveled down into their expansive front lawn.


    Ezekiel and his brothers all shuffled after him, until he stopped, about five minutes later, turned turn back to them and laid out the daily roster of chores. The same way their father did every morning.


    ¡°OK, first thing.¡± Mantilo began suddenly. Unlike his sons he was fully clothed. His loose-fitting green t-shirt and denim jeans filled and defined with hard muscle by the large man who filled them. Mantilo hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets and eyed Ezekiel first. ¡°You are not off the hook.¡±


    Ezekiel took a deep breath and raised his chin. Ready to take whatever was coming to him. Mantilo watched his youngest son steadily and let him stew in silence for a few seconds.


    Ezekiel like the rest of his sons was not a child.


    Ezekiel was twenty-three years old and the youngest. Nate was right before him in age also in his early twenty¡¯s.


    Walter was the oldest of his sons at age twenty-nine. And Lander came in just below him in age at twenty-six years.


    But Shifters were different then Mortals in the way that they aged.


    Where mortals were known to age once a year, for Shifters, the first few years of life were the same as a mortals. But after puberty.....after the Shift first takes them for the and the beast inside awakens, Shifters began to have a rapid decrease in their aging. Mantilo had estimated that Shifters aged one year to a mortal every four or five.


    So in reality his sons were nearly decades older then they really appeared. And the same could be said for any of the other Leopards in Mantilo¡¯s Clan or other Shifters around the world, that were not pubescent yet.


    So none of his sons were children, they were grown men, whom he had no real authority over, nor did Mantilo treat Ezekiel as such, but they were still his sons and no matter how old any of them got Mantilo would continue to protect them....or guide them, sternly, if need be. Until the day he died.


    ¡°But....¡± Mantilo amended looking Ezekiel in the eyes. He was secretly proud that his son was trying to take his punishment without any flinching, but he kept his face grim and his tone grave as he said ¡°I will concede on behalf of you mother, your brothers, and because no matter what has happened behind my back. Life is in the process of being saved today. So....I¡¯ll be lenient.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Thinking that life couldn¡¯t be better Ezekiel mistakenly dropped his shoulder and ex-hailed in relief only for his father to continue. ¡°Ezekiel you are to now take over Landers patrolling shift, added onto your own shift for the rest of this week, as well as help your mother with gathering the materials needed to ensure the intruder''s wellbeing. That means you will most likely be ruining back and forth between Kim¡¯s and Glen, in mortal form. Gathering gauze and herbs for sterilization. Mmmm...Just make sure that you don¡¯t Shift while you transport the surgical supplies. We don¡¯t want to risk an infection, from fur or dirt touching the supplies that your mother will be using.¡±


    Knowing that the distance between the healer Kim and their own mansion was a difference of nearly three miles, Ezekiel tried not to openly grimace.


    Ezekiel speared his brothers with glares as they all broke into snickers and laughs at his expense. With effort, Ezekiel schooled his gaze before he looked back at his father, but the anger was there in his blue eyes even though he bowed his head and complied. ¡°Yes father.¡±


    ¡°Also, I will only say this to you once more.....¡± Mantilo quipped. And on one side of himself, Mantilo felt a little sorry for his youngest son. Ezekiel was a good and naturally curious man, and reckless to a fault. He knew that Ezekiel was dying of curiosity when it came to their unexpected intruder, but Mantilo didn¡¯t want him getting any more involved. It seemed best that they all remain at arm¡¯s length concerning the stranger until Mantilo knew just what he was really there to do.


    ¡°Im ordering you to STAY out of that mortal¡¯s room.¡± He commanded Ezekiel and the rest of them once more.


    At this, Ezekiel raised his head and frowned. ¡°What? Well then how am I supposed to help heal him if I can¡¯t go near him....?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be healing him at all, nor will you approach that room again.¡± Mantilo rumbled with a shrug. ¡°You will bring all of the supplies that you gather to your mother, and then head off to continue your patrols. Which will take you much longer now that you¡¯ll be taking over all of Lander''s duties. Feeding the animals in the West and South. Weeding with the Clans Men in the South to prepare the fields, gathering herbs in the East, and scouting the forest in the East and South.....Gosh, you¡¯ll barely have time to stop, much less check on that mortal.¡± Mantilo smiled over at Nate as he gaffed with laughter, then he turned steely, sharp yellow eyes on his son.


    ¡°I mean it Ezekiel.¡± he enunciated. ¡°Stay away from that room.¡± Mantilo didn''t like how his son had been willing to come to the stranger''s aid so openly. He didn¡¯t like it at all.


    ¡°Fine. As you will it Clan Head. ¡°Ezekiel once more complied, but there was no hiding the hiss underneath his breath that he expelled as he looked out into the morning dawn creeping across the cool wet grass, dashing small rainbows on spider webs as it grew brighter.


    Mantilo nodded, unperturbed by his sons¡¯ displeasure.


    ¡°Now, in the mean time we are still Guardians,¡± Mantilo said trying to move on. ¡°We¡¯ll carry on with our assigned routes, but there will be a few changes.¡±


    Guardians. Mantilo¡¯s fancy way of saying, Watchmen or enforcers. In the mortals world his sons would have been called cops.


    Every Clan Head in the history of Mantilo¡¯s Clan had had a small band of Leopards that he used to gather information, protect his people and cull any would be usurpers of the peace. Over the years the purpose of the Guardians had of course changed, but the main purpose was the same. To assist the Clan head in protecting and cultivating the land and the Clansmen.


    In the past the Guardians were normally other males from other families in the Clan, but Mantilo had his sons, and each of them had powers and individual strengths that made them invaluable as his Guardians. He only had two other Guardians and they were his niece and step-nephew.


    Mantilo took a moment to think about their current predicament and how he was going to disperse his sons for the next few days.


    Then he looked to Lander. ¡°You will not be on patrol with us Lander. Stay with your mother. Ezekiel will pick up the slack for now.¡± Mantilo began. ¡°I want you to keep an eye on the mortal. Tap his thoughts when he wakes up if u can, find out if he¡¯s got any hidden agendas, and above all else? If he makes a move to hurt either you or your mother. Put him down.¡±


    Ezekiels lips thinned at that, but he still didn¡¯t say a thing.


    Lander nodded at his father and then looked at Ezekiel sideways. ¡°Hey, I hope you enjoy cleaning out the sheep manure.¡± Lander goaded him. ¡°I¡¯ve been putting it off for days, and today Mrs. Henry¡¯s definitely gonna make you do it all in retaliation for my putting her off for so long. So you have fun with that Lil bro.¡±


    Ezekiel flashed him a mouth full of sharp fangs in return.


    Mantilo ignored the exchange and turned to his other two sons. ¡°Nate, you¡¯re with me. I have a few elk that need hunting and skinning and separating for the up and coming Celebration. Then you can get back to your normal patrol of the village to the north¡± Nate blinked his dual-colored eyes and smirked. Mantilo took that as an agreement and moved on.


    ¡°Walter you will continue to patrol the West Village,¡± Mantilo said next


    Walter looked in the direction of the village in question and said nothing. Like Nate¡¯s simple smile, Mantilo took his oldest son''s silence as an answer in and of itself.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get it done.¡± Mantilo told them all, unhooking his thumbs from his jeans he turned and strode out further into the sunlight and grass.


    ***


    All of the brothers broke the formation at that time.


    Walter trudged off to the west silent and unmoved by the events of the last few minutes. Nate was happily following his father to the north and with a small sigh Ezekiel turned and started out for the south.


    ¡°Hey....¡± Lander suddenly called to him from behind. ¡°You¡¯d better go and pick up those surgical supplies Mom asked about first Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Ezekiel hissed and changed direction towards the west. ¡°This is gonna take forever without Shifting.¡±


    ¡°Good. A long walk will teach you something.¡± Lander laughed at him.


    ¡°Come on Lander. Seriously? I¡¯m not complaining about the walk.¡± Ezekiel barked stopping to hiss at his brother. ¡°You know that I could run for miles and not feel a thing. It¡¯s the time that I¡¯m concerned with.¡± Ezekiel explained to him.


    ¡°This whole picking up and bringing back supplies will take almost an hour by foot. Not to mention all the other Clansmen who will be at Kim¡¯s looking for healing herbs, slaves, and supplies, just like me. Mom said that the mortal¡¯s condition was delicate.¡± Ezekiel pointed out. ¡°He could die from blood loss by time I actually manage to return and your too busy being an asshole to care!¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel, you know that you¡¯ve got the fastest legs in the village. You¡¯ll be back here in no time! Besides... it¡¯s my job to be an asshole.¡± Lander said dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s not like Walter even has a sense of humor or a sense of any other emotion for that matter. And Nate¡¯s too damn chipper. So it¡¯s my job to humble you bastards.¡±


    Not knowing what possessed him to say what he said next, Ezekiel tipped his head into the soft sunlight. ¡°Im anxious Lander. I don¡¯t want him to die on us. I think it would be a terrible waste. It¡¯s weird I guess, but...¡± Ezekiel shrugged and stopped.


    ¡°Not really. ¡± Lander said, then suddenly broke off with a chuckle. ¡°Hey! Do you remember Annabel the cow?¡±


    ¡°God...¡± Ezekiel dropped his head and grated at him. ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me. Let me live the shame down!¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡± Lander teased. ¡°You loved that cow! You raised it right after it was born and its mother bled to death. Dad told you to just let it die because it was premature and a runt to boot, but you fought him on it for a week. And you cried and cried until he gave up.¡±


    ¡°What''s your point!?¡± Ezekiel hissed softly, trying not to be horribly embarrassed.


    ¡°My point is that you aren¡¯t weird. ¡± Lander laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve just found yourself another Annabel. You love taking care of stuff. I mean that¡¯s why you¡¯re the one always feeding the hogs and caring for livestock. You got moms Healers mentality but for animals.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I guess see your point.¡± Ezekiel nodded smiling back. ¡°But you know Annabel died two days later,¡± he recalled sadly. He could actually still remember the last breath that the little cow had taken in his lap after sitting with her for seventy-two hours straight. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that that doesn¡¯t happen to the stranger.¡±


    ¡°Well, here we are again. Just like the silly cow, but trust in her, Mom won¡¯t let him die.¡±


    Ezekiel rolled his eyes at him. ¡°You tried to kill him yesterday morning Lander.¡± He drawled. ¡°Remember?¡±


    ¡°Heat of the moment... and it was just a threat.¡± Lander simply stated then sighed sounding almost guileless for once. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster Ezekiel.¡±


    Ezekiel eyed him and shook his head. ¡°Oh really, see I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± he teased.


    ¡°Ha ha smart ass¡± Lander hissed. ¡°Just stop worrying. I¡¯ll do my job. So will mom. No need to worry about your little intruder after this anyway. You won¡¯t be seeing him again after today if Dad has his way. Once he¡¯s better Dad  will be removing him.¡± Lander reminded him. ¡°So hurry and go pick up the supplies already.¡±


    Lander said shooing him as he turned and mounted the steps to the front door. He looked back at the last step and snapped his fingers. ¡°Oh...and you might want to put on some shoes....no some boots! Those sheep really made a mess of the place last time I was there....¡±


    Ezekiel flipped his brother off.


    ¡°Fuck you...I¡¯m getting this manure out of the way if it kills me, you asshole. I¡¯ll be damned if you get to keep cracking on me about it.¡± Ezekiel hissed.


    Changing direction, so that he could go into the garage beside the right wing of the mansion; where he would don a pair of rawhide boots for the long day ahead. And no sleep. But deep inside he felt not one shred of regret.

 Chapter 13 - His Pain

    Chapter 13 ¨C His Pain


    So he dreamed. Brandon couldn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t hardly breathe. He felt a great agony pounding at the base of his head, but all of this seemed so far away.


    So Brandon dreamed in that far off place just between sleep, unconsciousness, and death.


    Because he knew he was dying.


    Even in this foggy state of consciousness, his heart whispered to him what his mind couldn¡¯t say. He was a goner. How much longer would it take? How long before the release was final? Or how long before he woke up and was forced to live underneath their thumb all over again?


    He didn¡¯t know. So he dreamed.


    Strangely enough, dreaming was far too comfortable to him.


    Brandon actually dreamed often, every few days one would creep up and overtake him. But for him.....it was always the same dream. Always the same things. Always the same people. Always has the same outcome. Always the same nightmares.


    But this time, just before the predictable horror started Brandon saw something new.


    Eyes. Bright blue, slit, cat eyes, glaring at him first in anger, then in agony, pain. The eyes burned with condemnation. He had hurt this person. And so he had apologized, but now the eyes still glared, hunting him.


    Brandon screamed them away and suddenly. LIGHT.


    Like a slash of fire, it broke across his dreams, pulling him down into the nightmare that he had every few days on a tiresome loop. And as sad and crazy as it was this nightmare was the only thing that he had, that was his, that he always had, no matter what. A nightmare in a nightmare was his only calm. His only real comfort.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    And as fucked up as that was Brandon gave into the nightmare. Let it settle. Because he knew he couldn¡¯t fight.


    The light of the sun, cutting into his eyes, blaring, the wind whipping. Rock all around. And the man standing opposite him.


    Brandon looked at the man standing before him. He was tall, slim, dressed strangely, and he had a head full of golden hair, almost long enough to reach his elbows. But for all the hair, this was a man, Brandon could tell, not only because he had had many years to analyze the recurring nightmare, but because his face was covered in paints and symbols that outlined his masculine nose, chin and forehead.


    And of all things to see in a dream....this man was holding a very large, very blood-covered sword in his large, and blood-covered hands.


    ¡°Raise your weapon Brother...¡± The man said to him. He spoke to no one else, but this as always confused Brandon because he had no siblings. No family. But in this dream, every time he dreamed it this man called him Brother.


    ¡°No Kail...¡± Brandon felt himself respond in the dream, he felt his lips moving, though he wasn¡¯t sure he was even forming the words or were they being imposed on him?


    He looked down at his on hand where an equally long blade sat in his smaller emaciated grasp. This blade was also splattered with crimson blood, but Brandon couldn¡¯t see any blood on his body anywhere else. He never could when he had this nightmare, leaving him to wonder where the blood came from.


    Among so many other things like; who exactly was Kail? Being one of the bigger ones.


    The man, Kail smiled sadly at his answer.


    And Brandon watched for the thousandth time as this man laughed and closed his eyes like he was in some great pain... And for the thousandth time the drama just cut off. The light blared across his sense like needles to his brain. Everything got thrown up, then down, then it vibrated.


    He felt the pain in his stomach. Spreading out like ice and fire, numbing and stinging all of him. Then there came the fall. He felt like someone was tearing him apart, chopping his soul into pieces and then stomping on every little bloody chunk until he was nothing.


    Then suddenly he was one again. The man, Kail was gone, the darkness was there, but there was no light, no blood, and no sound.


    Until a little while later the light cut back into his mind and it all began all over again.....


    It was nothing new. But the pain....the pain was always fresh for him.

 Chapter 14 - Unknown Agony

    Chapter 14- Unknown Agony


    Glen struggled to ignore the intruder¡¯s screams as she moved along the hall walking away from his room.


    Ever since coming to her only a few hours ago, the mortal had been a bloody, emaciated, smelly, and now moaning bunch of agony. Glen had suffered through the first few hours because the mortal had kept his distress contained to a few pathetic drawn-out moans and leg twitching, but in the last half hour, his moaning had transformed into full-throated screams. And try as she might to discover the source of the mortal''s agony she soon came to realize that this pain was purely mental. Spiritual.


    And try as she might to stay dutifully by her patients'' side as Glen knew all healers should....she just couldn¡¯t stomach that. It was too visceral. To familiar.


    So feeling exhausted and nauseous, Glen had drawn out some silken scarves and softly if firmly tied the mortal to his sick bed. In hopes of not only minimizing his wound bleeding anymore from his erratic movements but to keep the clearly disturbed individual from getting up and lashing out in his fever dreams. She feared that the most.


    As much as Glen loved her husband she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would rip apart anyone that harmed her weather the blow was passed in sickness or not. And Glen loved him for that. He was not only her husband, but he was also the love of her life. Her Life-mate. His loyalty to her was never questioned, nor hers to him. But Glen also knew that it could be damn irritating if it was misdirected. Which it currently was...on the mortal.


    Glen sighed deeply just thinking about it as yet another terrified scream split the silence of her home making her wince and blink back tears. She resisted the urge to turn back. Honestly what could she do for him, but suffer along with the stranger and the hell that plagued his restless mind and broken body? Things that she didn¡¯t want to guess at....much less sit around and watch. And Glen knew that remaining there could also make her a target if the mortal started to struggle, or slipped free of his bonds. No, it was best to wait until she could do something for the mortal. She would wait for her son to return with the surgical supplies. Until then.....


    Another terrified shriek tore the air making her jump and then sigh. Glen turned the corner and descended the spiral stair case, letting the warm thick carpet beneath here caress the soles of her feet. As soon as her feet hit the bottom floor she spotted Lander as he rushed over to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on...are you OK?¡± He hissed at her, his eyes glowing green with concern and suspicion. ¡°Is he awake?¡± Landers Shifted his gaze and gave her a quick once over as he spoke. Checking her for injuries.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Lander. ¡± Glen assured her son softly. She touched his shoulder and smiled. Instantly she felt all of the tension in his shoulders lessen. ¡°It¡¯s okay...breath. Are you OK?¡±


    Lander in-hailed deeply, then ex-hailed. ¡°No....¡± He finally breathed after three more deep breaths. His eyes still burned, but she could see that he was calmer. ¡°When will the damn thing shut up? I can¡¯t...I can¡¯t stand this anymore!¡±


    Glen took a deep breath of her own. She could feel the warm energy popping all along her son¡¯s skin. His emotions were piqued. Her second son had always been very....sensitive to the thoughts of others. The things that plagued others in the dark of the night, haunted him in the hours of the day. Because he could see it all. Feel what all those around him wanted, wished, hoped and would try to do. The good, the perverted, the evil, the desperate. He could read it all, and all of it affected him. The stronger the thoughts....the worse Lander was inclined to feel or be influenced.


    Glen took Landers hand as yet another of the mortals screams ripped apart the halls. Lander winced. ¡°It¡¯s OK. Focus on my thoughts. Clam. Come with me. ¡°Glen soothed his as she led him across the parlor and down the left of the front door and down the hall leading towards the Living room. Projecting calm into her mind and her voice she gave him a steady ¡°What do you see? Can you see what¡¯s causing him so much pain?¡±


    Glen¡¯s sons being gifted the ways that they were was...trying at times. But far from something that was overly shocking in Shifter society as a whole. Strong males and females were often born with innate abilities. That is what they were named Innate abilities that stemmed from the rare mixing of mortal and animal DNA that went on to give birth to the race of Shifters.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Not man, not beast, but something supernatural and powerful. That power manifested itself in every Shifter and Shifter Clan differently, but in the Leopards it was known to give them enhanced speed, balance, and their unusual innate abilities that over the generations had stemmed from, telekinesis to telepathy all the way to brainwashing or memory tampering.


    Normally the Leopards Clan only had one or two such gifted pups born in every few centuries. Such strong and supernaturally gifted individuals would then been placed in competition at puberty to battle for the title of Clan Head but Glen and Mantilo had given life to not only one supernaturally gifted son, but three all in the same decade, and then fate had brought Nate, a wolf, but a highly powerful male into their family. Luckily Walter being the eldest of his fathers sons automatically guaranteed that he would be the next Clan head so neither of her sons felt any rivalry for the ¡°crown¡±.


    But ignoring that this many strong and innately gifted Leopards hadn¡¯t been in one family for nearly three hundred years, Glen accepted all of their supernatural oddities as they were. And secretly Glen had always been slightly un-surprised by it all.


    Glen understood that she was an unusually strong-minded and strong-bodied female she had born all of her sons with little complication or help. While Mantilo was a well of wisdom, raw power and enough intelligence to out think, maneuver and out-politic every one of his enemies in the past. So when Glen had become his betrothed shed know that their children would be destined to follow in his footsteps, even if it had turned out that three of those sons would be gifted supernaturally and one of those sons would be a stranger.


    So though it was highly unusual for all of her Nate could bind men with his thoughts. Lander could read the thoughts of others, or be dragged down by their emotions. And Walter...was ...well something that no one really understood...yet.


    Glen sat her second son down beside her down on the couch beside her and squeezed his hands. ¡°Tell me what you can see in his thoughts. Separate yourself from the emotions, and tell me what you see.¡± Glen gave him a moment, then prompted. ¡°Anything?¡±


    Lander frowned, opening the eyes that he had closed, to look up at her from beneath his eyelashes, his smoky green eyes no longer burning green as he was taken in by his mother¡¯s calm and stern direction. ¡°No. There¡¯s nothing there¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Pushed him slightly.


    ¡°No!¡± Lander hissed, dropping her hand and closing the hand that she had smoothed back into a tight, white-knuckled fist. ¡°I can¡¯t...I can¡¯t read him! It¡¯s like he¡¯s a blank sheet.¡± Lander stammered, struggling to explain what he was seeing and feeling to his mother.


    ¡°There is this wall around his thoughts. I¡¯ve only known a few people that are one strong enough to create walls in their heads and two consciously aware enough to try and build one. You, Dad, and Walter are only a few of them and there have only been about twelve and all of those were all Shifters, Leopards. He¡¯s just a dying mortal, they are supposed to be weak and I can¡¯t read him!? He¡¯s literally blocking me. ¡±


    ¡°But....¡± Glen began assimilating herself to her son''s troubling discoveries. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you be affected by someone who¡¯s thoughts you can¡¯t even touch,¡± she said making a statement and a question to him at the same. She once more captured his fist and instead of trying to un-clench it she simply put her hand on top of his.


    ¡°I can¡¯t touch his thoughts, but his emotions are sharp enough. I can pick up what he¡¯s feeling, but not anything about why or what¡¯s causing it. He¡¯s absolutely terrified. And it¡¯s leaking through his metal wall, like whips. It keeps cracking against my mind.¡± Lander hissed. ¡°It¡¯s been nearly an hour. My damn head hurts so bad I can hardly think strait.¡±


    Glen sighed. ¡°Come with me...¡± Let¡¯s take a turn about my garden. Maybe some distance will help to muffle some of this mortal¡¯s distress. From the both of us.¡±


    Lander didn¡¯t really respond, he simply took his feet, pulled his mother to his side and they made their way to the south of the mansion. Silence engulfed them both as the mortals screams increased as they walked back into the hall, turned right, and they walked underneath the spiral steps to the long dimly lit hall situated far behind it and to the right. More screams nearly chased them into this hall before the ceiling and distance muffled the screams...mostly.


    ¡°I wonder if he was screaming like that when Ezekiel came across him.¡± Glen asked her son once she managed to wipe out the echoes of the mortal''s voice in her ears.


    ¡°I doubt it. ¡± Lander snorted mirthlessly. His cheeks were decidedly pale after being exposed to more of the mortal¡¯s screams and undoubtedly his emotions. ¡°If the stranger has been that....crazy when they had met in the wood. I don¡¯t think Ezekiel would have even went close to him.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s gonna wake up from this soon?¡± Glen asked him anxiously as they took a right and stepped around the next corner, passing low voltage lights that nicely shadowed the different pieces of art paintings and warm brown paints that covered the interior of their entire home. ¡°I had to tie him down.¡±


    ¡°Jeez. That guy is seriously fucked up.¡± Lander sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s gonna make it through the rest of this night,¡± Lander told her. As they made their way further into the house and away from yet another of the mortals heart-wrenching screams.


    Glen swatted her son across his arm, but for the first time in his entire life she didn¡¯t say anything to condemn his words choice. Because having seen things that Lander couldn¡¯t have seen in that room.....on that mortal¡¯s body?


    Well, she just couldn¡¯t help but agree with him.

 Chapter 15 - Promises To A Stranger

    Chapter 15 ¨C Promises To A Stranger


    Sometime later...


    Ezekiel mounted the front porch steps panting harshly. His lungs begging for more air then he could actually draw. He cradled a giant bag in his arm that was packed full of surgical supplies ranging from surgical needles, thread, gauze, antiseptics, scalpel¡¯s, peroxide, alcohol and a box full of surgical gloves and masks.


    Ezekiel held all of this stuff close to his body. He¡¯d run all the way to Kim¡¯s healing home. It had taken time for him to get her to swear an oath of silence and even longer for him to detail the mortals injuries and, then to recount the story to her, before she had conceded and offered her help.


    Then once she had loaded him up moment later he had paid her, then made a beeline back to the mansion. For all of his haste the whole outing had taken him nearly two hours to complete, not for the first time Ezekiel thanked God for grating him his own innate abilities. Ezekiel knew that no other Shifter in his entire Clan could have done what he had done in so little amount of time and in mortal form no less.


    With a happy little snort to release most of the air he had just in-hailed Ezekiel straiten upward and climbed the steps to his front door, but before he could juggle the bag in his hands out of the way and reach for the door knob, the door flew open. Missing Ezekiel by a shoulder, Landers snarling voice could be heard as he brushed past his sibling.


    ¡°God what took you so long?¡± Lander growled, part Leopard...part man, as he jumped off of the porch and began pacing back and forth across the dirt path before the tall grass.


    Ezekiel spun on his heel. ¡°Don¡¯t start with me! You try doing all of this in mortal flesh and then you can complain....¡± Ezekiel trailed off as he took a moment to really look at his brother. Landers hands were clenched at his sides as though he was in pain. His eyes were wide, darting from side to side and shifted. Glowing a fierce green, as he walked first one way and then another. Looking for all the world like a frustrated beast in a cage.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I went as fast as I could, but...¡± Ezekiel began in concern only to be cut off.


    ¡°Nothing wrong with me!?¡± Lander hissed. ¡°It¡¯s that damn mortal. Two hours....for two god forsaken hours it¡¯s been screaming like a stuck pig!¡±


    ¡°Screaming?¡± Ezekiel asked him frowning. ¡°Why is the mortal screaming? Is he awake already?¡±


    ¡°God I hope not!¡± Lander barked on a dark laugh. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with that damn thing if you ask me.¡± Lander grimaced as he pulled a hand through his golden hair. Then he eyed the package in Ezekiels arm and rolled his eyes. ¡°Go and give that stuff to mom Ezekiel. Help her get him patched up. I can¡¯t be near that until it shut up. And the sooner she gets that needle and thread the better...¡± Lander commanded; under his breath he said. ¡°Maybe then she can sew the guys mouth shut...¡±


    Ezekiel wanted to listen, but he did still remember that he wasn¡¯t supposed to go near the mortal. Something his older brother seemed to have forgotten in his frustration. Instead of reminding him Ezekiel lifted his chin and hedged. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna stand guard like Dad asked you too?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lander said bluntly. ¡°I can¡¯t even go up those stairs without my head nearly exploding. I need a break. Ill trust you to watch moms back....for now¡±


    ¡°But....¡± Ezekiel began. He knew that his brother was serious, but he wasn¡¯t exactly on good footing with his father just then for him to be jumping back into the line of fire.


    ¡°I can¡¯t...¡± Lander snarled cutting him off. Bright green eyes glared at their house as though it was some giant monster that was about to pounce on his brother and pummel him. Lander grabbed his temples suddenly and hissed in pain, closing his Shifted eyes. He enunciated all of his words next few words. ¡°My heads gonna explode, Ezekiel! I¡¯m not going to go back in there until you make it stop!¡±


    ¡°OK...OK. I won¡¯t tell dad if you won¡¯t.¡± Ezekiel tried to soothe slightly unnerved at what had agitated his brothers so badly. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Big words little bro.¡± Lander growled as Ezekiel turned back towards the door and grabbed the knob. ¡°But I doubt you powers are gonna be of much help here.¡±


    Ignoring his jib, Ezekiel punched open the front door and steeped inside. His mother out in the hall, by the spiral staircase. She was chewing her lip, rubbing her arms and tapping her small slipper. Her hair was still bound back in a braid, but while he was gone she had changed from her dress into a simple pair of jeans and a lack tank top.


    ¡°Mom I¡¯ve got the supplies.¡± Ezekiel called to her.


    But he never got the chance to hear here response. It was like him opening the door was some kind of silent trigger, because three second later a scream, half sob, half rage, all terrified tore across his senses. Not only making him jump, but the leopard deep down inside of him roar in red hot confusion and anger. Ezekiels jumped in shock. His head whipped up to the second floor landing where the scream had crawled out from.


    ¡°What the hell...¡± He breathed.


    The broken wail came to an abrupt end, Ezekiels eyes were ripped from there a moment later when he suddenly felt h=the bad in his arms being removed. His mother touched his bicep with calming cool fingers that countered the hot heat that popped across his skin. The Shift mingling with his concern and the anger.


    ¡°How long has that been going on?¡± Ezekiel asked her softly.


    ¡°It started a few minutes after you left with your father....¡± She explained. She looked a little pale and shaken to him, but also determined. Her big green eyes locking with his.


    ¡°Is he awake?¡± Ezekiel questioned her putting a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°No...He¡¯s unconscious.¡± Glen told him, putting a hand to her heart. And looking down in concentration when the mortal whimpers began once more. ¡°He....he seems to be dreaming, but he won¡¯t wake up, so he could also be halucinating.¡±


    ¡°Is he speaking.... has he said anything to you?¡± His mother shook her head in denial. Ezekiel cocked his head. ¡°Well, can Lander read his mind? ¡±


    " No. He¡¯s even blocking Lander out.¡± She sighed as she swiped an errant curl from her braid back behind her ear.


    ¡°What?¡± Ezekiel gasped at her. He was three parts shocked and one part envious. Ezekiel, unlike his father and Walter wasn¡¯t impervious to Landers abilities and it was startling to realize that the mortal could do something that only a select few men and women in his entire Clan could do.


    She just nodded at his shock. ¡°Lander couldn¡¯t touch his mind at all. And all the stranger does is scream.¡± She said and as if to prove her point, the mortal shouted again. Chills bit into Ezekiel¡¯s skin as the scream poured across the entire house.


    What in god¡¯s name is happing inside this guy¡¯s head?


    Ezekiel asked himself.


    His mother took the strap of the supply bag from him then and slung it across her small shoulder. With a sad smile she turned to the steps and Ezekiel followed. She shook her head.


    ¡°I know that you shouldn¡¯t be in here, but...¡± She shrugged away the rest of her sentence as she climbed ahead of him. ¡°Come with me for now...I think Lander is at his limit and I¡¯m gonna need you to help me put the stranger under for surgery.¡±


    ***


    Ezekiel followed his mother up the spiral stairs, down the halls and up to the Mortals door. And as they stood outside Ezekiel found that he could barely breath for all the tension and....protective energy pulsating around inside of him. Every scream was so visceral. So damn agonized that he could almost feel the fear, and the pain.


    Standing outside of the mortal¡¯s door he brimmed with a ....unbelievable, but completely uncontrollable need to sooth this hysterical intruder. To make the pain the intruder was so obviously in just go away.


    Ezekiyel instantly began to see the naivet¨¦ in this train of thought. He didn¡¯t know the first thing about this strange man or even mortals in general.


    Whatever he did. What ever he tried to do, could potentially make the situation better....or much worse.


    If I used my power on him......


    Ezekiel started...then shook his head in denial.


    I¡¯m too anxious right now. So if I used that on him, he might just...


    Ezekiels train of thought was cut short as he suddenly realized that he and his mother had arrived at the mortal¡¯s sick room.


    The first thing that hit him was of course the sound as the man on the other side screamed again. A high scream far from the high pitched scream of a woman and more like a breathless skydiver. But still with a hard edge of hysteria and pain that sliced across Ezekiel sensitive ears, and his gut making his teeth feel like they would brake as he tried to clench them against the sound.


    Yet the second thing to hit him and probably the hardest for him to ignore was the pure smell of salt and copper tinging the air. The mortals smell soaked the air in the small room. It zinged across Ezekiel senses, across his acute part beast tongue, down his throat, and lodged itself into his lungs. The scent had a feeling too. It was like peppered air, which at first numbed, then warmed like an application of mint to his throat. He in-hailed it even as it kind of hurt. His inner Shifter was bothered by the smell. He felt its power leaking over his eyes and nose. Leopard eyes burned bright blue, as he took in the smell, tantalizing, exciting and confusing all at once and no less potent after smell it so many time already.Stolen story; please report.


    Was he truly the only one who could smell this and what was the reason why?


    No one else seems to be picking up on it, except for me.


    He thought as he and his mother made their way further into the room, and closed the bedroom door behind them. Ezekiel could see that his mother wasn¡¯t affected by the scent like he was. Her nostrils flared taking in the thick coating of blood in the air, and then she sighed.


    What the hell is it?


    He thought to himself, then put a hand to the middle of his chest as the beast inside of him crawled around and pounded him there. He felt its energy, like claws racking across his soul in agitation.


    Whatever this smell is..it must be bad. It¡¯s driving my Leopard crazy every time I come near it!


    But he in-hailed it anyway, because the truth was....he sort of liked it. And deep deep in the back of his mind he ignored the part of him that whispered.


    Taste it...Drink.


    With a hiss Ezekiel dropped his hand and tried to focus on his mother or on the mortal himself. Anything else but the Leopard clawing at his mind.


    Anything else to ignore that voice in his head that filled him with three parts disgust and two parts nausea. He didn¡¯t like blood. He didn¡¯t crave it and he knew that no Shifter craved blood. So why......


    Ezekiel instead choose to focus on the final thing that he had hit him when he had entered the mortal¡¯s room.


    The stranger was tied to the bed.


    Fresh dashes of blood blemished the thin white short sleeved shirt and loose bleached sweats that Nate had lent to their mother as a replacement for the bloody clothes that Glen had had to discard. The mortal wiggled, thrashed, clawed, screamed and kicked as much as the silken bonds would allow him, looking for all the world like he was fighting some invisible battle.....or in tremendous pain.


    But the strangest thing in this manage of wrongness was that the mortals eyes, though, dulled with terror and pain....were wide open. Cool green as they had been in the dark forest they still drew Ezekiels eyes. Not unlike two pools of glistening ocean water, they stared unseeing and up at some unknowable nightmare that only he could see.


    This was the first time that Ezekiel had seen the mortal cleaned and without blood and dirt all over his face. And Ezekiel was struck with the first clean washed view of the mortals face. It was a handsome face.....some would have even called him beautiful.


    Which Ezekiel knew was sick to be thinking about right then and there...but there it was.


    Hollow cheeked, emaciated, bloody and bruised...but attractive? God what was wrong with him? Ezekiel couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at himself as he continued to analyze this strange and pained creature.


    And as he looked he had to concede that without the sickness that clearly gripped the invaders mind he might just have been mildly attractive once. A delicate nose, chin and a soft mouth. The mortals hair and eye brows also drew him in, though they were a dirty blond like Ezekiels own hair, this mortal wore his hair much shorter the Ezekiel. Barley two inches off his scalp any one way, and yet ruffled and tumbled form his struggle on the bed that it looked far too soft, like Ezekiels hand could slide right through it.


    Accompanied by those eyes....round, half lidded as though he were dreaming, and fanned by lashes that Ezekiel had never seen on...anyone. A darker brown then his blond hair, they stood out as the mortals eyes, rolled up into his head for a moment, before squeezing shut. Bandages and gauze wrapped around his arms and up to his elbows and around his lower throat gave testament to how cut up he had been beneath the dirt and grime. As did the three four itch Band-Aids that were glued to the mortals pale left temple holding a thick, bloody gash closed that disappeared up into the strangers¡¯ hair line. And there was the intense shivering and moisture that gathered in cold sweats all along his neckline, forehead, and wrists soaking the silken scarves around his hands.


    Suddenly the mortal shouted again breaking Ezekiel out of any further staring. Ezekiel clocked this scram as he had all the others. It seemed to him that the mortal was so exhausted from his ordeals that he only managed a scream every five minutes or so. At first he thought that the mortals was only screaming ever few minutes because that was when something scared him. But seeing how this next scream tore up and out of the mortal, like the act of screaming was something that the strange abhorred. Like he was fighting to be as silent as possible. Straining against his bonds so hard that the frame of the bed shook slightly.


    Then the mortal fell back unseeing, moaning, shifting, weakened, until yet another scream clawed its way past his gnashed teeth.


    Ezekiel took a step back and hissed as he put a hand to his head. It was already starting to pound and his damn leopard wouldn¡¯t stop roaring him.


    ¡°Man!¡± Ezekiel snarled softly shaking his head and approaching the bed as his mother walked over to the dresser by the opposite wall. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone experience fever dreams so....painfully before.¡± He said to her.


    ¡°I know, but the depths of the infection seems to be pushing him deeper into shock and paranoia.¡± She sighed as she took the satchel holding the surgical supplies off of her determined little shoulders. ¡°Include blood loss and the extensive pain his every movement could be causing and that would explain the screaming.¡± She explained as she continued to unpack the bag and place the supplies out. Starting with a handful of scalpels. They clanked as she placed them against the wood.


    ¡°So you think it¡¯s just the pain causing all this?¡± he asked her glancing back at the mortal then quickly looking away, when the stranger screamed and dissolved into a heavy gasping sob.


    Glen scoffed to herself a strained secretive smile appearing for a moment. ¡°No. I¡¯m quite sure that the pain not what is causing this mania.¡± She said as she suddenly lifted three slim syringes from the satchel. Each one was filled with a clear liquid and covered by a bright white top concealing the needle. She sat two of the needles down and deftly removed the top on the one in her hand. She put the needled up into the light slightly and used her thumb to displace a few thick drops of the fluid up and out of the syringes needle. With a swift nod at him she walked over to the bed. ¡°Help me hold him down.¡± She commanded over her shoulder.


    Ezekiel could sense that she had more to say on the subject, but Glen just turned back to the bed without elaborating and Ezekiel decided to drop it for now.


    Ezekiel quickly circled her side, and hesitantly put a hand on the mortals shoulder and right hip.


    And for the next three minutes Glen struggled to find a blood vessel and Ezekiel struggled to hold the burning, slippery mortal down as he seemed to become more hysterical by the second.


    ¡°Dammit, I can¡¯t get a vein and he¡¯s shaking too much!¡± his mother hissed turning from the bed suddenly giving up and leaving Ezekiel to struggle with the increasingly agitated stranger alone. ¡°Hes too wild! If I put this in him, it will break off in skin. I¡¯ll have to knock him out first. Chloroform it is.¡± His mother walked over to the surgical bag and began to pull out a small black bottle.


    ¡°Wait what!?¡± Ezekiel grunted as the mortal thrashed and moaned. ¡°Why on earth did Kim just have Chloroform sitting around to give to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh wow! Does it really matter right now Ezekiel?¡± His mother sighed, turning from the bag with the bottle and a white rag in her left hand.


    ¡°What? I think it¡¯s a pretty good question.¡± Ezekiel hissed at her with a small smile, but it didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°STOP!!!¡± The stranger suddenly sobbed. ¡°STOP IT PLEASE!!¡± The mortal threw his head back into the pillows and arched against Ezekiels hands. Ezekiel pushed him back down after a stunned moment.


    The shock of his voice after nothing but screams silenced Ezekiel and his mother for a moment. Then Glen came a step closer.


    ¡°Oh my god! ¡°She whispered. He green eyes a smidge bigger them normal as she looked at him ¡°Is he awake?¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged at her, then jumped as the man pulled on his arms and tried to sit up.


    ¡°Please.....your hurting me. Let me go!!!¡± The mortal moaned, furthers displacing the covers on the bed. ¡°LET ME GO!!!¡±


    ¡°Be still.¡± Ezekiel mumbled fiercely as he put more of his weight on the stranger. Worried that he would hurt him, but also worried that he would break free and hurt them.


    ¡°NOO!¡± The mortal screamed and kicked the bed and covers.


    Ezekiel was shocked by how strong the man was. Even burning with a fever and battered, the man was all steel beneath his hands.


    ¡°Hey calm down!¡± he grunted pressing the mortal into the bed again. ¡°You¡¯re gonna bleed to death if we do that.¡± Ezekiel tried to reach up and touch his face, but the mortal flinched away from his touch and gasped in agony. ¡°It¡¯s okay we¡¯re not going to hurt you.¡± He tried to reason surprised by his frenetic fear.


    But when the mortal did finally open his eyes and look around Ezekiel knew that he wasn¡¯t listening. Maybe he couldn¡¯t even hear Ezekiel. The stranger¡¯s eyes were open and he was crying, but his gaze was dull. He was still burning hot to the touch. The heat from his fever pouring off of his clothes.


    ¡°Hey can you hear me....?¡± Ezekiel began leaning back off of his arms to give the mortal some breathing room.


    ¡°I¡¯m.....God....I¡¯m sorry....¡± The mortal whimpered, his voice and eyes filled with desperation. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, you have to understand! Stop hurting me!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s hallucinating.¡± Glen shook her head and took the rag and placed it against the bottle that she swiftly uncapped and tipped forward. ¡°I don¡¯t think he even knows that were here.¡± Glen surmised suddenly recapping the bottle and sitting it on the ground. ¡°Keep holding him, I¡¯ll knock him out.¡±


    She stepped closer to the bed, the rag in her hand limp with chloroform liquid.


    Ezekiel went to cover his mouth and nose as the cloying scent tried to burn his nose.


    And suddenly the mortal twisted his arm and his wrist slipped free. With more accuracy and strength that surprised him the mortal slugged Ezekiel right in the nose. Ezekiel cursed as pain bit into his nose and shot into his eyes. With a growl he stepped back and grabbed it as the mortal gasped and scrambled to get his legs off the bed, but was pulled up short by his injured side and the scarf on his other wrist. That moment of hesitation as the head board refused to give allowed Ezekiel to grab his leg and push him back on the bed.


    ¡°Fucking let me go!!¡± The stranger screamed his voice still chocked with sobs. But along with the desperation was the anger.


    ¡°Ezekiel are you okay!¡± Glen said steeping away from the bed as the mortal tried to kick him with his other leg. But he missed and as Ezekiel tried to wrestle him back into the bed the stranger began scrambling on the mattress trying turn on his side and claw at his other wrist and pull it free.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Ezekiel hissed struggling to recapture the man before he pulled his other wrist free.


    Damn it! That¡¯s the second time this guys managed to land a hit on me!


    He snarled to himself and then he got an idea. Snatching up the strangers hands and pressing him into the bed Ezekiel was forced on the mattress to hold him.


    Pressing the mortal¡¯s arms to the bed and trying to keep the stranger from kneeing him he climbed up on the bed. Using his feet, and his ankles, Ezekiel held down the terrified mortal, while he pushed his hands down into the mattress at either side of his head. Ezekiel didn¡¯t have to look too see the damage that the mortal was doing to himself. The air smelled of blood all the heavier as the new clothes on him began to soak through with fresh crimson.


    ¡°No! No! Noooo!¡± The mortal screamed at them, tossing his head. Sobbing for mercy. ¡°No more!¡ä


    Until Glen¡¯s small, but strong hand clamped down over the mortals face. Cloying and sickly sweet the chloroform should have take all of the fight out of the mortal in seconds, but surprisingly he continued to thrash and kick.


    And Ezekiel soon figured out that he was holding his breath.


    Sitting as he was on the mortal, Ezekiel was forced to look him right in the eyes as they widened in first shock then fear which was promptly follow by.....water. Shinning green eyes stared up at Ezekiel as the continued to scream indistinct words into the rag. His eyes begging him for something, but Ezekiel didn¡¯t understand what.


    Tears. A myriad of emotions flashed there in that cool green gaze.


    His heart beat uneven and ragged. He was just on the edge of another scream and Ezekiel fought a losing battle with himself. The mortals fear grated on him for some unknown reason. It made him sick. He hated to see anyone in such a precarious, mental position.


    As the chloroform took the mortal down into a more unconscious state the mortal clawed at the bed, still fighting, still bleeding to death.


    He refused to calm down.


    The mortal tried to fight him some more, hurt himself some more and Ezekiel gave up.


    Ezekiel raised his right hand from the mortal¡¯s slim wrists and touched his temple with his knuckle. ¡°Shhhhhh. I¡¯m sorry....¡± Ezekiel whispered in the calm that was descending. Hoping that the mortal could hear him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight......I know you¡¯re scared, but you¡¯ll be okay now. I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I won¡¯t.¡± Gently, he ran that knuckle down the mortal¡¯s pale, burning hot cheek ¡°I promise you¡¯re okay....Just breathe deep. Breathe for me.¡±

 Chapter 16 - Hangin By A Thread

    Chapter 16 ¨C Hanging By A thread


    Perhaps his touch had distracted the mortal.


    Perhaps his words had broken through the fever dreams? Or maybe chloroform was just too overwhelming to continue to battle in his exhausted state, but the mortal shuttered as his chest expanded suddenly.


    He took a breath, and then he succumbed seconds after Ezekiel withdrew his hand from the mortal''s face.


    And like a switch going out, the man''s head dropped, his eyes drifted shut, and all of the tension in that fevered, shivering, and bloody frame swiftly faded.


    Ezekiel sighed and gently removed himself from the bed, so he could stand beside his mother. Glen rook over and held the chloroformed rag to the mortal''s face for another thirty seconds before withdrawing it. If she had anything to say about Ezekiel''s actions, she kept it to herself. She simply turned and walked to the bathroom. She tossed the chloroformed rage into a trash bucket and washed her hands.


    Ezekiel watched her emerge a minute later, hands and forearms still soaking wet, as she approached the surgical supplies once more and began slipping large extra white surgical gloves down onto her hands and forearms, stopping halfway up. Finally, she turned to Ezekiel as she fitted each tiny fingers to the finger holes. Then she looked at Ezekiel and glanced between him and the mortal.


    "Ok." She sighed. "He''s out for now, but I''m still gonna need to inject that morphine before I start cutting and sewing. His mother smiled at him as she walked towards the door. Refraining from touching him, she waved Ezekiel over.


    Glancing at the unconscious Stranger, he turned and joined her.


    "Thank you for holding the mortal down, but I need a sterile environment now." His mother said, letting him open the door for her.


    "I can''t help you sew him up?" Ezekiel asked her. Unlike his brothers, he actually had passable skills as a healer. Skills Ezkeiel had emulated from watching his mother and working at the animal ranches as a child. He''d sewn up more gashes and delivered more calves then the rest of his family combined. Excluding his mother, who had more experience healing the men and women in their village and delivering the Leopards Clans children?


    "Nope. "His mother said quickly. "I don''t think that would be a good idea."


    "Why not?" Ezekiel asked her suspiciously, stepping out of the room and letting her crack it, so they were speaking through the gap.


    "Well, for one, I''m gonna have to strip the man naked." She said her head sticking through the crack as she leaned against the door. "And you don''t exactly play it straight sweetheart."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Righttttt!" Ezekiel smirked at her, leaning against the door. "And I''m not mature enough to see a naked mortal? Come on! I''ve worked on male Shifters in the village and it wasn''t a problem! Mortal or Shifter were both guys, Mom. What''s he got that I haven''t already seen?"


    "You would be surprised...." His mother mumbled under her breath, looking away.


    "What was that?" Ezekiel said, tilting his head towards her, but his mother just pushed him back. He was getting curious to know just what it was she was hiding, but she wasn''t talking.


    "No help needed. Besides.... "She told him somberly, smoothly moving away from her suspicious comment. "He could also bleed to death once I start cutting Ezekiel, do you want to see that? What if he bleeds to death? Do you want to witness him slip away, watch as his heart stops beating?"


    Ezekiel frowned because he wasn''t sure he liked what she was implying about his level of investment in the Stranger.


    Honestly? No, he definitely didn''t want to see that, but instead of answering, he turned her question back around.


    "What? You don''t think I can handle it." He insisted instead. "I know death"


    At this point his mothers eyes flashed a deep yellow and she tisked past her teeth.


    "You are so much like your father...you push for answers and then dont accept the ones I give, because you already know what remains unspoken." Glen sighed at him. "It doesn''t matter what you say because I said no, and you''re not coming back in here again. Now go on. Return to your patrol. I''ll be fine until Lander shows up."


    "All right. But try to be positive." Ezekiel stood up and nodded. He wanted to help, but maybe this was all he could do. He had to let his mom do her best. "I know I asked you to do this, and you''ll do your best. But I don''t want you to take it hard if he''s too sick for you to heal Mom." Ezekiel lifted a hand up to her left cheek and smiled at her encouragingly. "You''re a great healer, so I''m sure he''ll pull through, but if he doesn''t, no one is to blame."


    "Well, that''s entirely his choice." His mother sighed, putting on a tough face, but he knew how sad she got when anything, especially her patients, died on her. In that regard they were very much the same. His mom leaned into his hand nuzzling it softly then pulled back. "Either way....you will know if he''s survived or not in a few short hours. For now all you can do it leave me too my work and stay out of trouble with your father. So please get going before he finds you in here."


    Ezekiel bowed his head as she turned, and the door slid shut behind her.


    Ezekiel departed from the hall just as he heard the cloth of the mortal''s clothes rustling and then the sharp zing as he caught the smell of fresh blood being released into the air.


    Ezekiel scrubbed at his noses as the fresh scent of the mortal burned him all over again. With a blue-eyed glare, Ezekiel looked down at his pants, smudged and smeared with the mortal man''s tantalizing blood as well, and he growled. With an agonized hiss, Ezekiel closed his eyes and just focused on the calm silence rather than the sick fact that he still wanted to know what it tasted like.


    He listened to the clink of his mother''s tools on the other side of the door and hissed to himself. "She seems pretty sure that he''s not gonna make it...."


    But Ezekiel didn''t feel that way. He wasn''t simply determined that this entire past night wasn''t some colossal waste. He felt like he couldn''t let the Stranger die. He felt compelled to at least think that he would live, because believing that he was going to die just aggravated him. There was that blood on his pants, electric with life, burning his lungs like a soft flame. So alive, so strange.


    "I still don''t know his name. I wish I had asked." Ezekiel said to the empty hall, then smiling sadly because he knew it was really no use to dwell on it, he turned and made his way to his room. A change of clothes and then back to the sheep''s. He was still a Guardian and he still had two villages to patrol.

 Chapter 17 - Curious Cat

    Chapter 17 ¨C Curious Cat


    Ezekiel trudged home much much.....much later. The chill night hurried him along one of the dirt paths leading up through his tall grasses and onto his pouch.


    All three storied of his family''s mansion was dark. No candles flickered in any of the third-story windows where his parent''s room was. Ezekiel knew that that meant that it was well past two in the morning. He usually saw his mother''s candle burning on the upper window sill as she waited for all of them to return from their various patrols, but only a few lights were shining, and all of those were on the bottom floor.


    He burned with curiosity even as his eyelids begged for sleep.


    Had the mortal, in fact, survived the surgery? Was he awake, or was he still in a haze of pain and unconsciousness?


    But he also burned with a need to fall into the bed.


    His hands and feet throbbed from slogging around mile after mile from one village to another. And his thighs and backside hurt from where repeated head butts and ramming''s from unruly sheep had been delivered to his lower body. For the last three hours. He now understood all too well why his brother Lander had put off the cleaning of the Sheep Pins for the last few weeks and deep deep down he cursed the green-eyed devil to the depths of hell. As he clattered up on the pouch, he growled and kicked off the mud and hay-caked boots on his feet into the railing. In frustration, he decided that he was going straight to bed.


    After all.....He had another day of this particular patrol shift until his dad said otherwise.


    Ezekiel walked into his house, closed the door, and navigated the darkness seamlessly up to the second floor. He made plenty of noise as he walked, letting his family know that he was in fact a friend and not an enemy skulking in the night.


    Ezekiels knew that sneaking up on other Shifters at night was a clear sign of ill motives. Predators only walked on fleet feet when they hunted after all. So, taking the necessary time to stump his way up the steps, he soon found himself walking down the one hall that still had light in it. The hall leading to the mortals room and coincidentally the same hall that all of his brothers shared.


    Each level of Ezekiel''s home was built in rectangles, stacked one atop another for their three-story home. Excluding the basement, which was only a small square beneath the bottom floor, where the entrance, living room, kitchen, sparing room and day room were all located. The second floor was an inter-connected rectangle of eleven fully furnished rooms.


    One of which Ezekiel knew the Mortal now occupied. Ezekiel also knew that his brothers Nate and Walter occupied the room''s way on the opposite side of the rectangle. While Lander and Ezekiel had beds on the shorter side of the rectangle, where only one bedroom resided for the two sides.


    Ezekiel made his way down the hall as a wide yawn broke out of him, but he couldn''t bring himself to pass the mortals room without at least checking if he really was still alive.


    The need to know was eating away at him, even as he tried to ignore it.


    Why do I even care?


    Ezekiel had to ask himself as he leaned into the mortals door and pressed his ear to the wood.


    Nothing at first, just the lingering scent of old blood. Ezekiel pressed his ear against the wood harder, strained for a sigh. He held his breath without knowing it.


    Then he heard it. A soft, slow heartbeat.


    Alive!


    He gasped and dropped his head back. And as a wave of extreme relief rolled over him, he realized that he really did care far too much. But for now, he was too happy to care anymore.


    Maybe I could.....


    He thought to himself, reaching for the doorknob. Then he shook his head.


    No, I''d better not.


    Ezekiel scolded himself, then walked away. He was able to pass the mortals room as he made his way to the end of the hall past three empty room and made his way to his room. The hall before his room was pitch black, so Ezekiel navigated it swiftly, fighting off the childish curiosity that tried to take him over.


    His father wanted him to stay away from the mortal, and for once, he wasn''t tempted to test the waters.


    He retired, stripped, and tried to get to bed.


    ***


    So, half an hour later, Ezekiel was both surprised and reluctant to respond to the sounds coming from the Mortal''s bedroom as he stepped out of the shower and began to towel off the moisture. Ezekiel''s room was five rooms away from the mortals, but Ezekiel was strangely attuned to every sound that he made.


    When the Mortal had begun shifting on the mattress, Ezekiel had caught the sound of the sheets moving and had paused to listen for further distress. Cocking his head to the side and letting the beast inside lend him its senses but....there was no other sound for some time.


    Until he had stepped out of the water, and now there was a frenzy of different movements coming from the Mortal, making his ears perk up. Like the Mortal was kicking or clawing at his mattress.


    He''s moaning again.....


    Ezekiel thought to himself as the soft, drawn-out cries fell on his sensitive ears. But...why? Was he in pain? Was he dreaming again? Didn''t his mother give the stranger enough morphine to last through the night? Ezekiel wondered to himself.


    All of these thoughts came over him, egging on his curiosity. He desire to get up and walk back to the Mortal''s room....and take a look. Ezekiel continued to listen to him thrash as he dried, slipped on a pair of briefs and, slippery black sweat-pants and a black t-shirt. He sat back on his bed, letting a fresh towel catch the water from his hair, and.....grew more and more anxious.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Can''t anyone else hear that?"


    He began to hiss. As he pulled the towel over his head and started drying it.


    "Maybe I need to go and wake Mom up?" he said, talking to himself.


    But...he didn''t really want to do that.


    He wanted to assuage his curiosity.


    I''ll just check on him. If he needs more morphine....then I''ll grab mom.


    He decided. Then he shook his head and tossed the towel onto his floor. Not thinking about the fact that his dad was only a few feet away from him, Ezekiel left his room and went back to the Mortal.


    Once he got there, Ezekiel listened to another drawn-out moan and shook his head.


    "God I hope he doesn''t start yelling again." He said to himself.


    Then not wanting to get caught or chicken out Ezekiel turned the door handle and swiftly disappeared inside.


    The room was pitch black after he closed the door behind himself, but Ezekiel didn''t need much light to navigate the space. The Mortal''s voice led him right to his bedside. And Ezekiel felt more then saw him kicking and twitching around on the mattress. Ezekiel reached out, intending to find the cover and pull it back over the Mortal quickly, but suddenly, the Mortal seemed to sense his hand and grabbed hold of it.


    "Please....!" the Mortal whispered, squeezing his hand. His skin was like burning coals, making Ezekiel jump.


    "Please, what?" Ezekiel whispered at him, leaning closer. He refrained from pulling back as he tried to calm the man.


    He didn''t understand what the Mortal was trying to say. So he tried to ask him again to explain what he needed. "What''s wrong?"


    "Please." The stranger seemed to whisper, his voice so subdued that Ezekiel knew that he was still unconscious. Seeing things no one else could see. "Stop it!" the Mortal shouted, suddenly pulling on Ezekiel''s arm.


    "Stop what!?" Ezekiel whispered back at as he tried to listen for the sudden approach of any of his family. Then, he breathed in relief when he didn''t hear a thing. Ezekiel barely made out the mortals face in the darkness, but he sounded so unhappy that Ezekiel knew that he was probably going to start screaming again if he didn''t find a way to calm him down. But he was still confused.


    "Please stop it...." The Mortal whispered fiercely, squeezing his hand and moving his head to the side. "Stop hurting me!"


    "Oh. Your in pain again?" Ezekiel mumbled more to himself than to the Mortal. Something told him that the man in the bed still wasn''t completely lucid. His skin burring in fever attested to that, as did the incoherent sentences he was uttering. Ezekiel squeezed his hand back slightly to see if that would help to calm him.


    "Here. Does this help you?" he said to the Mortal. He squeezed his hand again, and the Mortal squeezed it back. A prolonged squeeze that lasted the length of his next moan.


    Ezekiel hissed as the stranger''s nails bit into his hand. Trying to calm him down Ezekiel put a hand to his head and patted his scalp softly careful to avoid the gash on his left temple. He soothed his short blond strands back. Secretly surprised when it was as soft to the touch as he had thought.


    "Shhh. It''s okay." Ezekiel slowly sat down on the ground and let the Mortal have his hand since it seemed to calm him to hold something.


    The mortal flinched from his touch, but Ezekiel just brushed his hair back and dropped his hands. His grip was tight and stiff, but it wasn''t so that Ezekiel couldn''t handle it. He let the mortal squeeze his hand for a long time after that. Off and on, accompanying one slim moan after another until he started to drift off.


    The stranger seemed to calm down after that, but as Ezekiel tried to put his head down on the bed next to him and get rest while he waited for the stranger to fall unconscious again.


    The Mortal began to stammer and shake in his sleep.


    "Co....cold...." He mumbled, shifting slightly on the bed. He looked like he was trying to burry deeper into the mattress, but all of the cover that he had had before was on the floor and to Ezekiel the stranger felt like a burning inferno. His skin like a towel soaked in boiling hot water.


    "No." Ezekiel said softly, squeezing the stranger''s shaking hand. "You''re too hot right now....you don''t need cover." He knew that the mortal couldn''t really understand him, maybe he couldn''t even hear Ezekiel, but he seemed to calm before after Ezekiel talked to him so he hoped it worked now. "You''ll only be cooler if I cover you up."


    "Co.....coldddd. "The man moaned, clutching at Ezekiel''s hand again. "So cold....."


    Ezekiel tried to sooth him form his spot on the ground and talk him to sleep. But this time, talking didn''t quiet him. And Ezekiels arm and legs were falling asleep the longer he spent in that awkward position next to the bed. Ezekiel put the stranger''s hand back on his chest and walked around the bed. The man whimpered as he moved away, but Ezekiel quickly pulled his hand back into his own as he climbed onto the mattress next to the Mortal. The Mortal moaned and shocked him by shifting back into his side.


    Ezekiel struggled with how strange this would look if he got caught versus wanting to get the mortal calm and back to sleep. Finally giving up, he gently shifted the man so the mortals back was against him to him and pulled him against Ezekiel''s chest. So that he was encased mainly by his arms and chest.


    Man, what am I doing!? if this guy wakes up and slugs me...I would totally deserve it!


    Ezekiel thought to himself as he continued to hold him and his hand. For all Ezekiel knew this guy may not have been as accepting of dudes climbing into his bed as he was, but Ezekiel liked to think that he wasn''t just doing this because he was a little sweet on the guy. He knew that he genuinely wanted to get the mortal back to sleep and feeling comfortable. Skin-to-skin contact was helpful for injured patients suffering from shock. Ezkeiel hoped that once he had calmed him this way that he would go back to sleep, so he could heal faster.


    Sleep was the key to a healer''s success. His mother had drilled that into him and all of his brothers a long time ago. He knew that she had just taught them that rule to make it easier for her to force them into bed rest, if one of them ever got a severe injury. But he also knew that it was still partly true.


    Shifters were known to heal better if they took a load off and allowed the beast inside to work on closing the wound.


    He knew that mortals didn''t have a beast inside of them like Shifters, but the same principle had to apply to them. Right?


    Ezekiel also knew that Shifters were warmer than other creatures, so he hoped that he could help the man feel better by getting closer to him. But the Mortal just pressed back into him and continued to whimper.


    "Cccc...old. I''m cold." He moaned.


    The mortal shivered beside him, shifting in his spot, his teeth chattering in a painfully loud rhythm that worried him. He knew that the stranger was running a fever, but some people didn''t feel comfortable enough to sleep at night if they didn''t have some cover on their skin.


    Dammit! Mom would kill me.....but once hes asleep I''ll take them off.


    Ezekiel hissed, pulling his closer, but refraining from squeezing him lest he hurt the Mortal''s side. So, knowing that he was gonna be dead if his father discovered him there, Ezekiel quickly reached into the dresser next to the bed. He quickly pulled out two fresh folded sheets and threw them over the Mortal.


    The stranger moaned again and squeezed Ezekiel''s hand as he tucked the cloth around him. Ezekiel felt the Mortal''s heat through the thin fabric; his heart-beat was sluggish and slow but drummed hard and deep in increasing anxiety. But Ezekiel just stayed close, and soon his moaning quieted down, and there was nothing left in the silence soon but his labored breathing.


    To his peace of mind, Ezekiel had the strangers shivering slightly managed, and his breathing smoothed into even gasps. Ezekiel felt terrible for him, so he just let the minutes tick away, waiting for the stranger to calm. And still, he held desperately to Ezekiel''s hands. He clutched onto the Shifter as if for dear life.


    Ezekiel waited a long time, wanting to pull away and get the heck to his own room, but the bruises in his legs began to throb. He became warm sitting next to the stranger''s ragging body temperature, and he became reluctant to move.


    And soon he didn''t hear anything because he had fallen asleep.

 Chapter 17 - Confusion

    Chapter 18- Confusion


    Soft, heavy breaths in the darkness stimulated him. The strong smell of pine, like a sharp soap or lotion, pulled him up.


    Brandon opened his eyes. And instantly froze.


    He felt....like he was dead.


    He felt so cold he gasped and bit his cheek to stop from moaning. And even though he felt a weight over his entire body that reminded him of silk, he still felt a silver chill all along his bones. And just off the edges of his mind was this knowing ache. Biting into his skin all around his stomach was a pain that he didn¡¯t know the origin of. He felt tight and yet loose there around his hips and on his left side, like his guts were going to burst through his belly. But pain he could deal with. He had to deal with it. But the unknown he had to decipher....or get the hell away from it. He needed to find out where he was.


    Brandon tried to claw at the unfamiliar weight on him, holding him down on the surface that he seemed to be on top of, but he felt the sickness all through him.


    He wanted to find his feet and get it out of the way, but suddenly, he felt more than the weight of the cover over him. He felt something large and heavily breathing nestled behind him.


    Someone was touching him again.


    Damn it! Get off!


    Brandon shifted and turned on the mattress and snatched his hand away from the stranger before him. Pain sliced down his leg as he moved, but now he was facing this strange person lying next to him. Brandon reached before him and used the palm of his hand to navigate the darkness. The first thing he felt was a rigid definition and cloth.


    IT was so dark he couldn¡¯t see, but he picked out what mattered by feeling and sound.


    He was in a bed. His clothes felt weird. His head was breaking apart. And the person in the bed next to him was flat-chested. And for all Brandon could tell, they were still sleeping.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Shit! Shit! Where am I?


    Brandon racked his mind for an answer, but the sharp pounding muffled his thoughts. He couldn¡¯t think clearly. He felt sick, so sick and achy and cold. Something in him just wanted to wilt. To borrow back into that warm sleep he had suddenly been jerked from by the tickle of someone¡¯s hand on his skin. Holding his hand. The hand he had felt on his had been warm and solid. Strong, like a man¡¯s hand, but there was really only one way for him to be sure. Brandon pressed the palm of his hand on the stranger¡¯s upper body, down their wide, hard chest and torso and with an anxious swallow, he slid his fingertips against the stranger¡¯s muscular thighs and pelvis.


    Was it a man? Did he find me?


    He still couldn¡¯t be sure honestly...


    ¡°You know, stranger....¡± A voice suddenly drawled in the darkness. Smooth, deep...pleasing as it startled Brandon, and he jerked his hand back. ¡°Most people don¡¯t wake up and start molesting their mysterious bed partners. Did you like it?¡±


    I dont know that voice!


    Brandon didn¡¯t think. He raised his leg up. He screamed as agony flared down his entire stiff side. Grunting through his teeth, he kicked out and slammed his feet, which he was shocked to realize were utterly bare, into the stranger¡¯s chest.


    Something snarled, and both he and the stranger fell off opposite sides of the mattress.


    The first thing Brandon soaked in when he hit the ground was the absolute unfathomable pain that sliced down half of his body, then radiated up his spine and back down into his gut. IT was so extensive and deep that he gagged. Dry heaving as the nausea slammed into him, but he was empty on the inside. He could feel the void of no food, no liquid, and no strength as he tried to scramble to his knees and find his feet in all the new horrible sensations.


    ¡°Hey! What was that for!¡± the large stranger hollered from the opposite side of the bed. And Brandon heard him scrambling to his feet. He begged his feet to comply, and he soon stood on legs that felt no stronger than twigs. His eyes darted around the pitch-dark room, searching desperately for some avenue of escape, and then he saw a way out.


    There!


    He thought to himself. He spotted his escape beneath a slit in the wall behind him. A light shines into the room.


    A door!


    The stranger was moving towards him. He could hear him getting closer.


    Brandon didn¡¯t waste the time to think. He dashed, or more like he stumbled over, in the direction of the door. The man roared behind him. ¡°Wait!¡±


    What the hell was that!


    Brandon screamed to himself.


    He slammed into the door and fumbled along the wood, searching for a doorknob. He wasted a few precious seconds trying to push the door, then changed direction and ripped it open...

 Chapter 19 - Chase

    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.

 Chapter 20 - Frying Pot To Flame

    Chapter 20 -Frying Pot To Flame


    Damn! I...think you liked that a little bit too much...


    Ezekiel panted to himself. He wasn¡¯t tired, but the adrenaline crawling all along his heart made him gritty. As did the Leopard inside that was wide awake and snarling to get free.


    And it wasn¡¯t mad like he was. No. It had enjoyed the chase...The Leopard was pouring its power into him, scratching at his mind, trying to break free. It liked the idea of catching and dominating this man.....maybe a little too much.


    Ezekiel ignored its mewling calls in his head and tried to focus on the strange green-eyed mortal who was proving to be as slippery as an ell, even with his exhaustion clear to the naked eye.


    How in god¡¯s name is he still able to move!


    Ezekiels asked himself.


    He was two seconds from death this morning. What the hell did mom do to him?


    Knowing that these questions were really the last things he should be worried about, he shook them away like the demanding call of his inner beast.


    Hoping to waylay any more of the mortal¡¯s crafty moves and thus the mortal¡¯s desperate attempt to escape, Ezekiel pinned the mortal to the wall with his thighs and chest while his hands held the mortal¡¯s arms immobile above his head. The mortal screamed profanity at him and struggled mightily against his hold, and though Ezekiel had to tighten his grasp on his wrists to keep the mortal in his power, he could feel the frailty of the man¡¯s body as it pushed against him. But beyond all this. Beyond the screaming and the aggression was the reality that the mortal was right up against him. His heat, amplified by the fever burning in his pale skin, poured into Ezekiel¡¯s chest and stomach as the mortal pressed into him. His mint green eyes were full of cool calculation and fury.


    He was obviously furious at Ezekiel for boxing him in, but beneath that, Ezekiel could see the calm edge of his thoughts. He could see that the mortal was trying to get a grasp of his surroundings and maybe even think up an escape plan.


    And then there was the smell of him. A curious scent that had haunted Ezekiel ever since their meeting in the woods. There was no set way for Ezekiel to describe the smell. It was more of the feeling that came with the mortal¡¯s scent that haunted him. He in-hailed, and it was like a spike of awareness strait to his gut and spine, a hum, a burn. Pleasant, but unpleasant. It was warm and shocking but constant. That awareness had stuck with him for days, and now here he was with the mortals¡¯ scent all around him.


    With the mortal standing before him he felt that same spike in his stomach. That same awareness.


    The mortal had finally stopped screaming at him and sagged up against him slightly. He was exhausted. His legs shook against the front of Ezekiels thigs and the heat of fever wafted off the mortal¡¯s skin, making him wonder if they would have to put him into a tub of ice sometime soon.


    Ezekiel took this time to regain his own breath, and as he dropped his head and sighed deeply, his face came closer to the mortal. The stranger¡¯s head was tipped back, giving Ezekiel a clear view of his throat. As the mortal also tried to get back his strength. So close to his pulse, Ezekiel caught his breath as the stranger¡¯s scent washed over him thoroughly.


    He began to lean forward, chasing that...smell.


    Unbidden his nose, then his lips brushed against the side of the mortal¡¯s throat.


    God, I must be losing my mind, but....his scent is just....


    Ezekiel¡¯s eyes drifted shut as he felt the soft warmth meet his lips. His skin suddenly felt like silk, which made Ezekiel want to touch him more. He inhaled and ex-hailed, drowning himself in that smell before he let his mouth drift open and slowly let his teeth ghost across his throat in a soft bite.


    Ezekiel pressed close as he nipped at the mortal¡¯s nape a second time, and the tip of his tongue flicked out to taste him on his fangs, hissing to himself in satisfaction when the mortal sighed and leaned into him more. Whether he did it from shock, pleasure, or exhaustion, Ezekiel didn¡¯t know, and he didn¡¯t get the chance to find out.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    He released the mortal¡¯s right hand so he could softly grasp the mortal¡¯s chin and Ezekiel lifted his head from the man¡¯s throat and analyzed at him.


    The mortals eyes were fluttering open and closed, his mouth parted slightly as he continued to labor for his breath. Then, probably sensing Ezekiel¡¯s stare, the mortal eyes opened slightly. Green gems gazed back, looking lost and overwhelmed.


    Wanting to shake himself but unable to help it, Ezekiel caressed the mortal¡¯s cheek with his thumb and lifted his chin. The confused flame that he glimpsed there in the man¡¯s glimmering eyes made him shiver. Fresh awareness pooled down inside of him, awareness that maybe he wasn¡¯t the only one feeling....whatever this was, this magnetism.


    ¡°Tell me you name?¡± And as the question tumbled from Ezekiel¡¯s lips, he was hit with the realization that he had pinned a literal stranger to the wall. And the fact that he was enjoying having pinned that stranger to the wall didn¡¯t slide past him either. The contact between their forms was oddly pleasing.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he questioned the mortal softly.


    ¡°Uh? Who am I!? Are you serious!?¡± The mortal said suddenly, speaking for the first time since waking up in the room, ¡°Let me go! I¡¯ve said it like three times!¡±


    His cool green gaze shot to the left and down the hall, then shot back to Ezekiel. He twisted and shifted against the paint, trying to pull his hands down, but he was trapped, and Ezekiel sensed that he knew that, too.


    ¡°Who am I!?¡± he said, giving Ezekiel''s a shrewd glare. ¡°Why the hell would I tell you that. Tell me who you are, and maybe I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Answer the question.....¡± Ezekiel began. He pushed in closer and snarled at him. ¡°Before I make you regret attacking me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, was that a threat?¡± The stranger quipped, his eyes connecting with Ezekiels. ¡°I don¡¯t respond well to those. Maybe you should rethink your fucking tone!¡± he challenged.


    Ezekiel leaned back slightly at the man¡¯s teasing and almost arrogant tone. His vulgar mouth. He either didn¡¯t know what his current situation was, or he didn¡¯t fear it. Looking at his clear eyes, Ezekiel felt it was the former. He wasn¡¯t even a little bit frightened from what Ezekiels could see. Just....frustrated that he couldn¡¯t get free just yet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you respond to intruder!¡± Ezekiel shook his head. He hissed, still trying to intimidate him. And sort of liking the fact that it wasn¡¯t exactly working. ¡°Now, what is your name!?¡±


    The mortal took a deep breath as if he were being highly put upon.


    ¡°OK. you want it?¡± He said suddenly, and before Ezekiel could restrain him, he leaned in and put his mouth next to his ear. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you exactly who I am, blue boy...¡± He whispered in Ezekiel¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m the last person on earth you should be touching so casually.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? And did you just call me Blue Boy?¡± Ezekiel growled, moving in to glare at the stranger. This conversation wasn¡¯t going how he thought it would at all. ¡°Do you have any idea of the shit you¡¯re in?¡±


    ¡°Do you? I don¡¯t think you want to play this game with me¡­¡± The mortal whispered leaning in as well, then with a quick sneer he actually snapped his teeth , nipping Ezkeiel hard enough to break skin on the side of his chin. The Guardian jerked back in shock and growled, but the mortal only smirked at him, saying nothing else. Giving him nothing but that cool stare. There was no fear or rage, and instantly, Ezekiel got the impression of real danger from him, but it was more than that. It wasn¡¯t just danger. It was like seeing a wild dog looking back at you. Blood thirsty. Unruly. Crafty. Skittish. Primed for violence.


    But the connection lasted only for a second, maybe less, before Ezekiel was suddenly snatched off the mortal. He was jerked back from the wall and thrown quite hard to his back. His head cracking against the wooden floor like a slab of cement made him shout and grab at his skull in pain and unpleasant surprise.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!!?¡± Ezekiel heard his father¡¯s thundering voice snarl in rage from somewhere over him.


    ¡°Have you lost what little sense god gave you...!?¡± Mantilo hissed, crowding him, his brown eyes slit like a leopard and glowing yellow in righteous indignation.


    Still unable to help himself, Ezekiel snarled as he rolled to his feet and turned back on his father. He couldn¡¯t have halted the disrespectful sound from rising in him if he had tried. He didn¡¯t like being separated from the mortal. His father had no right! His fangs itched as he felt them try to grow.


    But just as fast as the anger came over him, it faded. As did his misplaced instinct to stake a claim. He felt lost for a second. The warmth of the mortals¡¯ skin was gone, as was the mortals scent. All he could see was his family, standing in front of him like a wall, blocking him from the mortal.


    He could only catch glimpses of the stranger now between his families¡¯ shoulders. The mortal was crouched down in a ball on his knees in the spot where Ezekiel had released him. He didn¡¯t attempt to speak or attack. He just sat there in a ball of tight apparent agony.


    Ezekiel looked at his siblings next because all three of his brothers were staring at him with bemused expressions. That clearly spelled out how deep in the shit he was. His mother looked downright worried. She was chewing her lip and alternated, looking between him and his father anxiously.


    And his father was glaring right at him, his jaws clenched in anger. Knowing he was past the point of no return, Ezekiel tried to speak. ¡°Dad I...¡± he began.


    ¡°What did I tell you!!?¡± Mantilo snarled at him, using his voice to dominate him completely. Suddenly unwilling to anger his father any more than he already had, Ezekiel looked down and away from his burning eyes, conceding dominance with that small gesture. ¡°I told you that mortal is dangerous! I command all of you to stay away from him!! What more do I have to say to make you obey my commands!?¡±


    ¡°Let me explain, you don¡¯t understand...¡± Ezekiel began once more speaking out of turn, only to have his father hiss and step toward him threateningly, a fist of claws rose and started to reach for his throat....

 Chapter 21 - Diffuse

    Chapter 21- Diffuse


    Once again, Ezekiel felt his inner beast buckle in him, felt his anger flash to the surface, and sensed his eyes glimmering with hostile aggression. He couldent stop it. He flashed his fangs back at the Clan head, knowing that he had to back down, move aside...but... something made him want to press back, assert his right to be there...near the mortal.


    Mantilo went to grab him, possibly planning to throttle him into submission like he deserved, but...


    At that moment, Ezekiel''s mother stepped between them, her deep green eyes slit and glowing like a cat in the night. ¡°Stop this, both of you!¡± She hissed, pushing them apart with a stiff shove that forced both men to give way. Her move was surprising but not her strength.


    Ezekiel knew that his mother was in some way on equal footing with his father when it came to power and influence in the village.


    She stood with his father on even ground and so was likely the only one in the whole village that could challenge him... or calm him down. And as she flashed her teeth at the both of them, Ezkeiel did step back. He realized that she was pretty darn good at intimidating him too, or was it that she unlike his father hadent been the one to pull him away from the mortal in the first place?


    "Have you lost your mind boy!?" Mantilo snarled as Ezkeiel dropped his eyes, then thier father full on growled back at her, but all of the aggression melted out of him as she returned the sound.


    "Enough, the moment has passed. Ezekiel backed down."


    Not waiting for a response, she dropped her arms, huffed, and walked to look over at the mortal who was still kneeling in a ball on the ground by the wall.


    ¡°Stop fighting. There''s something wrong. I¡¯m smelling blood. Lots of blood... Whether he¡¯s an intruder or not, this guy is still my patient, and if you haven¡¯t noticed, he¡¯s hurt again.¡± Glen sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t have you scaring him back into shock and worsening the problem! So help me....or leave this hallway!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not leaving you up here with that....¡± Mantilo said, turning from Ezekiel to look behind him at the mortal. The mortal seemed to sink deeper into a ball at his tone of voice. His slender arms tightened around himself, and his head tiled forward, blocking his eye from Ezekiel''s view. Mantilo hissed at the stranger as he glared at him. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s not your patient anymore, Glen. He seems much better to me. If he¡¯s awaked, I can get him the hell out of here.¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t move him!¡± Mantilo took a step forward and Glen hissed at him, her eyes flashing with a slight luminescence and Ezekiel watched his father grimace and step back from the mortal reluctantly.


    ¡°Dammit Glen...¡± He growled at her, the rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t move him just yet, you mad woman, but he is going back into that room! I don¡¯t want him anywhere else in my home!¡±


    Him mother bit her lip, worry replacing aggression on her face. ¡°But....I don¡¯t think I should move him at all... ¡°She began.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? He was fine a moment ago. I can help...¡± Ezekiel said, concern, making him forget himself and step past his father to stand beside his mother.


    His father snarled and snapped at him, making Ezekiel step back. Clearly asserting control of the space, and Ezkeiel struggled not to bristle at him.


    ¡°Back off. You are not to go near him again! I thought I made that clear.¡± He hissed as Ezekiel once more took another steppe back. He knew he had pushed his father to the edge.


    But when the stranger whimpered painfully, Ezekiel and his father broke eye contact to look at him, then over at Glen.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him now?¡± Mantilo grumbled as the man shook on the ground next to the wall. To Ezekiel, it looked like he heaved once or twice, but nothing managed to come up.


    Glen tilted her head up and sniffed the air, but it was his brother Walter who answered him first.


    ¡°The mortal is bleeding internally again, beneath the skin. His stitches hold, but something has torn, and is now pooling heavy blood into his wound,¡± he said to his mother¡¯s back. His dark brown eyes shifted from analyzing the stranger to Ezekiel. His face set in its usual solemn frown, showing no real emotion.


    His mother nodded, glancing at him briefly. ¡°Yes. I smell the blood gathering, pooling around the stitches in the flesh. I¡¯ve got to relieve the pressure, drain the new blood and plug the hole. I¡¯ll have to resew him up.¡± Glen said, ticking the points off on her small but graceful fingers.


    ¡°Either way he seems to be hurting real bad.¡± she told them. She shot Ezekiel a glassy glare. ¡°What the hell happened anyway? Why is he awake!? Did you go into the room and cause this?¡± she asked him.


    Ezekiel opened his mouth to respond, but his mom walked away with an eye roll before he could devise a decent lie to tell her.


    She stepped toward the mortal without another word, but at that moment, the mortal looked up at her. His green eyes were still filled with fire and violence, but they were also glazed with pain, making him far less agreeable.


    ¡°Stop...¡± He panted shallowly at her and held his stomach hard with his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK...¡± she tried to soothe back.


    Ezekiel watched his mother talk to the mortal softly as she tried to come closer. But the stranger wasn¡¯t listening. He could see his entire body shivering. Ezekiel worried that the fever was still holding his mind partially in a vice of paranoia. But his mother just tried to get closer.


    ¡°Stay calm, we''re just gonna take you....¡± She began to explain.


    But with a ragged breath, the mortal jerked back from his mother¡¯s approach. ¡°Stay the fuck away from me!¡± He screamed at them all. Ezekiel listened as all the men in his family reacted to the mortal¡¯s crude language in his mother¡¯s presence. Ezekiel even hissed at his rude remark and watched his mother halt in her advance and chew her lip once again in indecision.


    ¡°Hey, you stupid asshole, she¡¯s trying to help you! Watch your fucking mouth!!¡± Lander snarled stepping toward the mortal. His fists clenched, and his canines flashing slightly pointed and white.


    If the mortal was worried, it didn¡¯t show. He only looked back down and wrapped his arms around his middle stomach even tighter. Ezekiel sensed more then saw him bite back a scream of pain as he tightened his hold. His eyes drifted shut, almost as though he struggled to stay conscious.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK.¡± His mom told his second oldest brother softly, putting her hand out to stop his advance. ¡°He¡¯s just scared right now. We have him surrounded, so just take it easy..... ¡±


    ¡°Not to mention that he¡¯s weak, hungry, paranoid, confused, and currently bleeding to death. Oh, and he''s very pissed off that he can¡¯t escape. His desire is to be free...¡± Walter put in from behind them all.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Ezekiel paused to look back at him questioningly, but he knew better than to waste time wondering how his eldest brother knew half the things that he knew about people. Walter had always been able to sense what others couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Glen said softly. ¡°Well, I guess having a hole in your side would make anyone a little moody. Right?¡± She offered.


    ¡°That does not make it OK to be an ass...¡± Nate said with a shrug and a smirk.


    ¡°Oh hush... a few bad words can¡¯t kill me, boys,¡± Glen told her sons as she looked back at the mortal.


    ¡°No, they won¡¯t kill you, but they could kill him.¡± Mantilo sniffed, steeping closer to the mortal. His lip-curling to reveal the deadly points of sharp fangs. ¡°He should have some respect! Stop screaming at my Mate and get on your feet before I drag you back to the room and break a few bones while I''m at it!!¡± He roared at the mortal, agitating the situation even more and making the stranger flinch and open his green eyes. And all Ezekiel saw there was red hot rebellion. Feral. Desperate.


    Ezekiel once more sensed rather than saw the stranger tensing for the attack. He was surprised that he was getting a little used to reading the Mortals'' aggressive behavior. And after getting into that desperate tussle in the hallway with the stranger, he could almost see what was about to happen next.


    A blood bath.


    Trying not to think about what he was doing to himself. Ezekiel stepped around his father and boldly approached the stranger. He knew it was the wrong choice the moment he took a step forward, but what else could he do?


    The tension in the room was starting to boil over. The mortal was nothing but a hair trigger at best. And with all the yelling and anger around him, Ezekiel feared that the mortal would attack his mother or, worse, his father, and honestly, either act would be a definite death sentence.


    But Ezekiel strangely didn¡¯t feel any animosity or distrust towards the stranger. Besides, he¡¯d already taken a blade to the chest, and a few weak punches, and the mortal was still breathing. He had held his anger in check, pushed down his instincts, and pulled his strength so that he wouldn¡¯t break any of the stranger''s bones by accident while he tried to subdue him. His father and brothers....would not be so kind if they perceived a threat. Ezekiel thought that this spoke to his more patient nature. He could defuse this.....somehow.


    So Ezekiel ignored his father¡¯s hair, raising hiss of outrage as Ezekiel defied him once more and came right up to the mortal. He kneeled down a few feet before him and snapped his fingers sharply at him.


    "Hey...look at me." The mortal jumped, opening those incredible, fiery green eyes to look at him.


    ¡°Hi, remember us? Well, the woman behind me....¡± He began pointing behind him with his thumb so the mortal would understand, but he knew that his mother was the only woman in the entire home. ¡°Please listen to her...¡± he told the mortal simply. ¡°She can make the pain stop. OK?¡±


    The mortal didn¡¯t look up. His only response was a stiff and breathless. ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    Ezekiel was surprised at himself when all he did was smile at the mortals¡¯ backlash and leaned in closer. ¡°OK good.¡± He found himself hissing dryly. ¡°Now we know that your mouth works....How about your legs? Get up. I wont ask again.¡±


    The mortal looked at him with a dirty glare and didn¡¯t move.


    Ezekiel sighed, looking back at his family, hoping for some aid, but when none of them offered him any, he tried to speak to the mortal once more.


    ¡°Look we aren¡¯t going to force you to do anything against your will stranger.¡± Ezekiel finally continued. ¡°But you can¡¯t just sit here and bleed out.¡± He said as he scooted a step closer and reached towards the mortals shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s kinda of stupid actually. So just get up.¡±


    The mortal jerked away from his hand once more. Then he slammed his fist into the wall beside him in an aggressive show that hardly made Ezekiel flinch. ¡°I told you to fucking stay away from me. I¡¯ll kill you! ILL KILL YOU!! Leave me alone!¡±


    ¡°Listen we aren¡¯t trying to hurt you!¡± Ezekiel growled back as a fresh burst of copper filled his senses. An oval of crimson spread across the front of the mortal¡¯s shirt as he pulled his stitches apart, and the blood beneath his skin flowed out.


    ¡°Oh crap!¡± His mother cried behind him. ¡°His stitches, we¡¯ve got to get him to the bed, Ezekiel, and stop the blood.¡±


    Were all mortals this foolish?


    Ezekiel had to wonder as he dropped his hand and shook off the burning smell of the stranger¡¯s blood. He couldn¡¯t afford to be mesmerized by that scent right now.


    ¡°Look, either you stand the hell up, or I will carry you back to that room!¡± Ezekiel told the man with a pointed glare of his own. ¡°It¡¯s just that simple. Now move....or get moved. You have five seconds!!¡±


    To his amusement, the lil green-eyed mortal shot him a cock glare and spat out resolutely. "F...five! Touch me, and I''ll break your fucking jaw!''


    A tense silence followed where the mortal glared at him and said nothing, and Ezekiel shrugged back onto the soles of his feet. He flashed his fangs at the man, ignoring the flash of awareness that danced inside, something feral and dominant, as he got ready to snatch up the foolish intruder and carry him to his room. But then, probably sensing his inevitable loss, the mortal surrendered.


    "fuck this..." Suddenly, the man released his stomach with another pained whimper, and without a word, he struggled up to his knees. He clutched at the wall for support, and finding none there, he sat kneeling, head bowed and labored for air for a few moments. Ezekiel could see that he wasn¡¯t out of air, but that the mortal was searching for the energy to stand. To push his thin body up on even thinner legs and move back to the room he had run from.


    Ezekiel was deeply disturbed that the man had pushed himself so hard. His agony wasn¡¯t hidden or undetectable. It was deep and harsh on his body. The agility and power that the mortal had displayed only minutes ago seemed like a dream to Ezekiel now. He seemed unable to summon even the strength to speak.


    Where had he ever gotten the will to move from that bed, if he was still so close to deaths door?


    Ezekiel asked himself.


    On an impulse Ezekiel took his own feet, and walked forward to stand on the wall beside the stranger. He reached out to help the mortal to his feet, his fatigue and pain were just too obvious. Not only could Ezekiel sense the mortals¡¯ pure exhaustion, but he could see that the entire side of his shirt was turning red from blood. Ezekiel couldn¡¯t let him hurt himself any further, but he didn¡¯t even manage to brush the mortal''s shoulder with the tips of his fingers before the mortal slapped his hand away.


    For some reason, Ezekiel wasn¡¯t perturbed by the mortal¡¯s actions toward him; he felt no flare of anger. He just sighed like he was dealing with an obstinate child or an upset animal out in the village.


    ¡°Calm down. You can¡¯t do it alone. Just take my hand. You¡¯re hurt and weak.¡± Ezekiel said, stepping closer. ¡°Come on......your too slow for me. I don¡¯t have all night to coddle you. Get up. Now.¡±


    Ezekiel said before smiling easily into the angry glare the mortal directed at him again. Maybe he was being an ass, pushing someone so ill and weak but he had a feeling that it would get him results.


    With shaking hands, the mortal strained to his feet, ignoring Ezekiel''s offer entirely. So Ezekiel nodded, dropping his hand, and looked down the hall toward the room that he mortal had tumbled out of only minutes ago. He directed the mortal that way silently with his eyes. Ezekiel then gestured behind his back to his mother without having to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re too exhausted to walk that far right? Let us help you. Let this lady help.¡±


    He saw the flash of defiance in the man¡¯s green gaze as he looked first at Ezekiel then the rest of his family members, the cool calculation returned. The mortals¡¯ eyes darted around looking for an escape. It was like watching a cornered animal for real this time.


    Ezekiel caught his green gaze for the briefest of seconds and shook his head in denial.


    Don''t do it, don''t freak out...just comply. Ezekiel tried to express to him silently.


    He knew that if the mortal tried to make another run for it, he could very well die at the hands of his overprotective father.


    The stranger gave it thought, but after he silently analyzed all of Ezekiel''s brothers and his parents, the mortal sighed. Without a single word, he turned, wrapped an arm around his stomach again, and using the wall for support, he limped painfully back toward the guest room.


    Ezekiel watched him go for a moment, then he shifted to the side and smiled at his mother. Letting her know that she could follow. With a slight sigh of relief, his mother brushed past him. She was careful not to touch the man following Ezekiel''s example, though she held her hands out toward his back in case she had to catch the hobbling mortal if he suddenly lost his feet.


    Ezekiel''s gaze was ripped from their progress as his brother''s voice suddenly burst into his head. With a harsh whisper, he slid into Ezekiel''s mind like cold slime on the back of his head.


    You are so dead, Ezekiel.....


    He heard Lander chuckle inside his skull before his brother brushed past him.


    Good luck. I doubt I''ll be seeing you again for a while, lil bro.....


    His bother teased his cold voice like an icy knife sliding on his nerves.


    Ezekiel shook his head to shake away the cool presence of Lander''s thoughts in his mind, and then he snarled at his brother. ¡°Enough of that! Stay out of my fucking head! I¡¯m not gonna warn you again!¡±


    Lander ignored him as he walked away, but Ezekiel did feel his cold thoughts withdraw quickly as he moved. Walter and Nate followed him without comment, though Walter did shake his head as though he had somehow heard the whole exchange between the two of them. And then Ezekiel and Mantilo were alone together.

 Chapter 22 - Nameless Fusteration

    Chapter 22- Nameless Frustration


    Ezekiel swallowed dryly as he realized his father¡¯s gaze was on him. His eyes burned through the back of his head. Ezekiel wanted to just walk away from the coming lecture, the coming confrontation, but he also didn¡¯t want to drag it out.


    So he turned back to his father, and without making eye contact, he took a knee, kneeling before him in the ultimate show of physical submission. And instantly, an age-old ritual was begun. A ritual that his father had taught him to practice since he was a child. Ezekiel had always been given the Ritual as a form of punishment.


    But he knew that it could also be used to ask for forgiveness for trespassing against others or against the Clan Head himself. Ezekiel knew that it was something considered outdated. Reserved for the Guardians and the Clan Head alone now, but his family choose to practice it anyway. A physical altercation between Shifters was often too dangerous and Ezekiels family found that the Ritual suited them perfectly fine.


    In the Ritual, the violator took a knee and then submitted their wrongs in spoken word to the victim of their actions. Once done, the violator then waited defenselessly, hands bound before them for a response or a physical form of retaliation for their transgressions. Ezekiel knew that the Ritual didn¡¯t always work. Sometimes the violator refused to participate or the victim wanted to settle the situation with more blood then the other Shifter wanted to spill.


    ¡°Before you start...¡± Ezekiel began placing one fist atop another before him and clasping them to his breast. ¡°I meant no disrespect, Father. Truly.¡± Ezekiel tried to convey the truth of this by dropping his gaze in obedience.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm...No disrespect?¡± Mantilo mused, then shook his head while looking down at him. ¡°So what did you mean by going against my direct order? Going near him after I told you to stay away was stupid and reckless of you!! I heard you fighting with him, what if he had gotten lose? Who knows what he¡¯s capable of! If he wasn¡¯t so badly injured....who knows what he may have done? Don¡¯t you understand that I tell you things to protect us all!?¡± he asked his son softly.


    Ezekiel sighed in relief. He had to be thankful for small favors. His father hadn¡¯t seen everything, hadn¡¯t seen him....nibbling on their new guest. Tasting his skin.


    What the hell had he been thinking? Ezekiel wondered, looking back on his behavior now. It was like he had been drawn in, like a moth to a fire or a magnet to metal. His earlier actions felt almost automatic now, like he had been in a trance.


    Ezekiel winced as his father growled at him. ¡°Speak!¡±


    All while Ezekiel had mused, his father had been waiting for his response. ¡°Well...¡± he began. ¡°I know what you told me and why, but...¡± Ezekiel said. He knew he had to be humble right now and contrite, but that had never been in his nature. He struggled with what to say. So, in the end, he went with pure stupid honesty because he didn¡¯t have much else but that to give. ¡°I went to see the mortal because I was...curious. I¡¯d never seen one of them this close before, and he was moaning, so I went to investigate. To ask what was wrong..¡±


    ¡°Curious?¡± Mantilo hissed, starting to walk a tight circle around Ezekiel like a cat circling a mouse. ¡°And so you what....snuck into the room of your attacker only to get attacked once more! It is almost too stupid to put into words !! We don¡¯t know what this moral is capable of! Don¡¯t you understand that if that boy had aimed his weapon a little more accurately, your mother and I would be burying our son instead of tending to an injured outsider!!?¡±


    Ezekiel paused. He could feel his father''s frustration and his concern all at once. And he instantly felt horrible for not realizing his father¡¯s feelings earlier. He was a fierce protector, which made his father such a determined leader. Ezekiel knew that his dad was a natural-born Clan Head (Not chosen but born to the title) and that he took his title seriously as ruler and protector of the entire Leopard Clan. So the fact that someone, a mortal at that, had not only gotten onto his lands but had almost managed to fatally hurt a member of his own family. It must have angered his dad to no end.


    ¡°Look. I¡¯m not some fragile piece of glass.¡± Ezekiel scoffed. ¡°I may be the youngest, but you know that I¡¯m not weak. I¡¯ve had lots of scrapes and broken bones, Dad.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°But none of them could have taken you from us. A broken leg is nothing compared to this! You shrug off my concern like a fool! ¡± Mantilo pointed out sharply.


    ¡°I know...but I¡¯m fine. Believe me, I¡¯m okay.¡± Ezekiel told his dad softly, trying to reassure him with a smile and a carefree shrug of his once-injured shoulder. ¡°It was just a lucky strike. The mortal was on the edge of death when I found him. He was drowsy and weak, so it¡¯s a wonder he cut me at all...¡± Ezekiel blinked as he recalled coming out of the shadows and then feeling the cold blade sliding down into his body at a downward angle.


    He shook his head to clear away the still-fresh feeling. ¡°And today, when I went into the room, he woke up disoriented as well,¡± Ezekiel said, again admitting to sneaking into the mortal¡¯s room. ¡°The stranger woke up and saw me, and then he ran.¡± Ezekiel continued talking slyly. Omitting the fact that he had fallen to sleep in the stranger¡¯s bed, which he obviously knew had caused the mortal to attack him, but he would have been an idiot to tell his father that.


    ¡°I must have scared him when I tried to stop him...¡± Ezekiel said with a fake shrug of confusion. ¡°I attempted to stop him from running out of the room, and he defended himself. Again, I don¡¯t believe that he was trying to hurt anyone. He just seems kinda lost...¡±


    Mantilo snarled, cutting Ezekiel off. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you for your opinion, Ezekiel! I will certainly find out the truth about the stranger for myself! Your input is deeply unappreciated on this matter. So refrain from giving it!¡±


    Ezekiel ex-hailed in frustration, wanting to speak more, but he held his tongue. Suddenly, he wished that he had never gone into that room. Maybe if he had just stayed away, the mortal wouldn¡¯t have gotten so worked up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I submit that I was wrong and impulsive. I have disrespected the rule of my Clan Head and gone against his wishes. I will take whatever punishment you give me.¡± Ezekiel began hoping to soothe his father¡¯s ire with him. He recited the words that completed the Ritual.


    Then, unable to help himself, he slipped in a few more words in on the stranger''s behalf. ¡°But I do feel like we have to get more information from the mortal before we judge him unfairly for his actions.¡±


    Mantilo sighed. ¡°....I accept your submission and pardon you, Ezekiel...This one last time." he recited the answer to the Ritual of Violation that ended the practice.


    Then, with a suddenly weary-sounding sigh, his father crossed his arms, and he looked into Ezkeiel''s eyes as he softly continued.


    "Ezekiel, I mean what I say. If you continue to not abide my words both as Clan Head and your Father, then, you will be stripped of your current title...no matter how much it would pain me to do so.¡± Mantilo let the severity of that promise sit between them.  ¡°Now rise,¡± he told him softly.


    ¡°Thank you, Clan Head,¡± Ezekiel answered and then did as he was told. He knew the grace and patience that he had just been given...and he knew perhaps that he far from deserved it.


    But once he was standing on his feet Ezekiel found himself troubled by his father¡¯s lack of an answer to his request of mercy on the mortal¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°So what happens now?¡± he asked as they looked at each other.


    ¡°Now...¡± Mantilo sighed, whipping a wide hand across his mouth. His deep brown eyes troubled. ¡°Now I make sure that this mortal is really as defenseless as you seem to believe. Then I¡¯ll figure out what to do with him after we¡¯ve spoken.¡±


    Ezekiel looked down towards the doorway where his mother and his brothers had dispersed with the mortal. ¡°Maybe I could come with you...¡±


    ¡°Nooo.¡± Mantilo hissed in a drawn-out way, cutting him off, and sighed once more, walking past his son. ¡°I will not require your presence for this Ezekiel. In fact? You will go out and patrol the Northern and Southern villages for the time being while I consider the matter.¡± he commanded, leaving no space for argument. ¡°Once you return to us, this matter will have been settled. Do you understand?¡±


    Ezekiel turned around as his father brushed past him. A silent dismissal.


    ¡°But Father....!¡± He called, and yet he knew it was futile. His father¡¯s wide back was ridged and set with the latent streaks of anger. ¡°I¡¯m the one that spoke to him first! Just let me talk to him for a second time....¡±


    ¡°No! Leave for patrol, Ezekiel! Do not think to return this night!¡± Mantilo thundered, cutting him off once more with a voice as sharp as a knife and as vicious as a leopard. ¡°Do not test me again so soon!¡±


    Ezekiel snarled viciously at being forced away from the mortal yet again. Not caring if his father heard him, he took the steps down to the first floor and quickly left the mansion. Once outside, he shed his flesh and raced across the fields in his spotted fur.


    Letting the power in his body, the animal within, steal away all thoughts of his mistakes, but more importantly, He allowed the beast to steal all his memories of the mortal¡¯s warmth. The feeling of his soft skin beneath Ezekiel''s aroused fangs. He let the smell of fresh pine wash away the haunting scent of blood and the feeling of his body laid up against Ezekiel''s own. A terribly interesting feeling of playful surprise and intense refusal that Ezkeiel had felt when he touch him.  The Leopard tried to run it all away.


    But it all remained in spite of him.


    For all that, Ezekiel didn¡¯t even know the Stranger''s first name.

 Chapter 23 - Death Threat

    Chapter 23 ¨C No Cooperation


    Brandon fought to ignore this new, painful world that he had woken up to.


    He felt out of place here with its hulking men, glowing eyes, and sharp teeth. He stumbled into the room because there was nowhere else for him to go yet. The room he inched into was dark, except for the light that was bleeding into it from the hallway, he was so nauseous now that everything was pitching from side to side. But no matter how much he tried to, no vomit would come up. There was just the dull ache of sickness in his stomach. He couldn¡¯t analyze the room search for an escape route. He also couldn¡¯t keep his feet.


    With an agonized gasp, he fell to his knees on the carpet and stayed there. He clutched at his body, trying to hold the pain at bay, but all he managed to do was dissolve into pointless tears of pain and fold in over himself, sitting on his knees in this strange, dark room.


    A small shadow moved past him, and he heard cloth swishing before there was suddenly a blossom of new light. The smell of burning wax hit him a moment later.


    ¡°On no!¡± A soft, sweet voice called over him. He felt the shadow move past him again. ¡°Get out of here. I can¡¯t work with you brutes taking up all the space.¡± The feminine voice said, and Brandon heard the wood behind him swing closed.


    Something hard and flat slammed against the wood behind him, but Brandon was too sick to move. He just continued to listen as the pain began to steal his breath.


    ¡°Glen!¡± A deep male voice barked, sounding like he was being forced to speak through the wood. ¡°Stop trying to close the door on me, dammit¡± ¡°The deep voice barked. ¡°I need to keep my eye on that Mortal. So let us in there!


    ¡°Oh, please. The man is two seconds from passing out!¡± The feminine voice grunted. She seemed to be trying to move something heavy out of her way. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see! Now go away until he¡¯s stabilized.¡± The female grunted, and with a sharp thunk of wood shutting, the man¡¯s voice faded away.


    Brandon still couldn¡¯t move, but suddenly there were small but steel hands pulling him from the ground to his feet.


    ¡°Come on, stranger¡­¡± the wielder of the strong hands said beside him. ¡°Let¡¯s get the Grim Reaper off our doorstep.¡±


    Brandon bit back a shout as the small woman forced him across the room, then down onto the bed so that he was lying on his side. Methodically removing the soaking wet cloth over his chest, she began buzzing around his side like a nut. He wanted to move her. Push her hands away. Cover up¡­..the things that he always covered up.


    But¡­.the pain paralyzed him¡­.or was it the endless cold and chills. The waves of the sensations chasing themselves from his forehead to his toes and back again kept him in a useless pile, totally at the woman¡¯s mercy.


    It hurts¡­.god every part of me hurts.


    Brandon thought to himself. It hurt so much so that the strange woman¡¯s touches melded into the agony. He lost his eyes somewhere in the back of his head. And there, along with the pain, he oddly found blue eyes watching him. Glowing blue eyes.


    ¡°This will help with pain and numb you¡­..but after this¡­..I¡¯ll be out of syringes.¡± The strange woman said to him. Her voice was the only soft and kind thing about the situation for Brandon, so he tried to focus on it. ¡°I hope it makes the pain manageable for you. Or at least knocks you to kingdom come for the next few hours.¡±


    Brandon barely managed to follow her, but suddenly, something warm pinched him in his arm, and he fell into the darkness. The warmth spread. Like honey in his veins, it numbed him. And in that haze, the blue eyes stayed no matter how hard he tried to ignore them. And when he woke up an untold amount of time later, he was shocked to come face to face with eyes as yellow as the sun¡­.and ten times harsher.


    Brandon struggled up from the darkness. There was a weight all over him. He felt like a doll made of stone.


    Where was he? What was going on?


    In the end, it didn¡¯t matter to him. Wherever he was¡­he couldn¡¯t stay there. He never could stay in one place for too long.


    His mind told him to move, to stand, but his body was too slow to respond. He tried to shift off his back and into a sitting position, but everything on him felt sluggish and heavy. His tongue felt swollen and dry, and his stomach and side¡­..was all numb. He couldn¡¯t feel the bed beneath his hips, but he knew it was there. The unbearable pain¡­wasn¡¯t gone either. Brandon could still feel the hollow ach at the base of his spine and all the way down his left leg.


    He still felt a chill on his entire body and the slosh of vomit trying to rise. There was something draped over him and something thick and soft stuffed behind his head, holding him up against something hard and sturdy like a headboard. He still couldn¡¯t move his limbs yet, but he managed to open his eyes relatively fast. He only had a few seconds to glance down before familiar voices made him aware that he wasn¡¯t alone.


    The first thing he saw was the outline of his own feet beneath a thin white sheet. And he had a few seconds to feel sunlight pouring into the room from his right. All of his thoughts focused in on the light.


    Light meant an escape route to him.


    Then Brandon heard a door opening far across from him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hours Glen.¡± A deep, but slightly familiar voice growled. ¡°Is that intruder stabilized yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.it¡¯s been almost six hours now so hes pass the worst of it.¡± Said the soft feminine voice from before. ¡°Come in¡­..the boy is all stitched up and medicated. He seems to be coming out of the shock right now.¡±


    Brandon tried to shift on the bed, and with a mighty grunt, he managed to balance himself into a sitting slump on the pillows. His spine and hips were so weak that he barely held it. But he refused to be taken lying down. He knew that escape was impossible the way that he was, as weak as he felt, but he still wanted to be ready for anything.


    The four men and the small woman walked over to the bed. The largest of the men stuck close to the small woman, but the other three men went to the base of the bed and just¡­..waited. Brandon felt like he was still dreaming as he glanced around the room and all the eyes looking back at him were feral eyes of beasts. And their steps and moves seemed to glide sleepily from one to another. Grace¡­power. That was what he felt. Glowing slit eyes watched him. Brandon¡¯s nerves felt frayed as he sensed all of those strangers attention settle on him.


    Brandon tried to analyze each of them. His eyes fell on the large man beside him, who looked like a mountain of stone. His stern face and grim mouth looked like they could cut diamonds, and his eyes¡­.were yellow and filled with a deep well of power and confidence. The small woman, compared to him, looked like a fluttery angel. She had eyes big and beautiful and green, a beautiful face, small bones, and a head full of sandy brown curls that danced around her delicate throat and shoulders. The other men in the room he glanced at quickly.


    One of the men was almost as big as the man standing with the woman, but his face was younger by comparison and almost expressionless. He stood with his heavy arms crossed over his chest, and he regarded Brandon coldly. But his eyes¡­.they glowed a slight yellow as well, marking him as something more, something not human.


    The other two men weren¡¯t large, but like the other two these men had an uncommon grace about them, and an energy in their presence that made him¡­..anxious. Like something was watching him. The last two men had glowing eyes as well. One man had two-toned eyes. Black and white pupils interchanged from right to left and piercings in his left eye accompanied by a faded over scar. While the other man had eyes that were crystal green and bright blond hair and a nasty smile on his face. The last two men were of two varying sizes, one lean and long, the other lean and thick, though neither of them were tiny or short men.


    And none of the men were by any means shorter than five feet eleven inches tall.


    Brandon openly checked each of them out, not caring if it disturbed them, but for the most part, the strangers just watched him back until the large man beside the pretty woman began asking him questions.


    ¡°What is your name mortal?¡± the large man asked him softly. He stared down at Brandon, but Brandon refused to raise his eyes to meet him. This man wasn¡¯t like the blue-eyed man that Brandon had almost given the slip; there was a graveness about him, an iron in his voice that commanded obedience. But Brandon wouldn¡¯t yield. He remained silent and locked his lips firmly together. ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± the man tried again. The silence was all that he received again. The man stepped closer, obviously starting to get piqued. He snapped his fingers together twice and spoke at Brandon a little louder. As if he thought he was a simpleton.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I know that you understand what I¡¯m saying to you, boy. Here I¡¯ll go first. My name is Mantilo, and this is my home.¡± The man, Mantilo, told him. His voice was colored with growing ambivalence. ¡°This is Shifter territory, Were Shifters, and this is no place for Mortals like you. My youngest son came across you about four days ago in the forest. He says you spoke to him, and then you attacked him with a knife.¡± As the man spoke to him, Brandon drifted away to his own thoughts. He soaked up as much information as he could.


    Four days? Shifter Territory? I should have known! The eyes were a dead giveaway!!


    Brandon thought to himself as the man continued to talk.


    Oh god, I¡¯m so stupid. The last thing I needed was to stumble into Shifter Territory. I was so dazed from that hit that I must have gotten turned around in the woodlands.


    Brandon was dismayed and more than a little unbalanced that he had managed to lose so much time. He tried to retrace his steps from what the man before him had said. He remembered climbing the hill, falling and hitting his head, then hazily he remembered¡­... he had stabbed¡­.something. Something that had grabbed him from the darkness.


    So that was the blue-eyed man? He must be this guy¡¯s son?


    Brandon shivered involuntarily as the feeling of pointed teeth pressing into his neck ghosted into him. Brandon blinked as he saw the Shifter holding him against the wall again. Felt his mouth glide across his collar. Brandon remembered the anticipation that had come over him, the shivers that had touched him in his lower belly, and tightened his chest when the stranger had nuzzled his skin. For one insane moment, Brandon had wanted¡­.


    He put a hand to his throat and ex-hailed shakily.


    It must have been insanity¡­


    He told himself, and it was at that exact moment that he keyed back into what was being said.


    ¡°You almost fatally wounded him! Luckily, you missed his heart.¡± The large man, Mantilo, by his own introduction, ex-hailed deeply. ¡°Now, why did you attack him in the first place? Who are you? Do you have a name!?¡±


    Brandon glared at the man. He didn¡¯t attack anyone who didn¡¯t deserve it. And Brandon didn¡¯t like what the man was implying, but he still refused to speak. He wasn¡¯t sure where he was, or who these people were or even what he should say to them. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that he had done something awful, and now he couldn¡¯t remember it.


    ¡°He is not being very forthcoming,¡± Mantilo said, breaking eye contact with Brandon to look at the beautiful woman beside him. ¡°This could be so much easier¡­if I could beat the answers out of the boy.¡± The female Shifter who had tended to his wounds cast her husband a sympathetic if slightly mocking, pat to his cheek.


    The woman openly studied Brandon herself as he and Mantilo spoke. She was a small Shifter, which only served to outline her vulnerability amongst all the more prominent and menacing males in the room. Even Brandon would have outstood her¡­.and he was only about 5 feet nine inches tall.


    But she held herself confidently.


    There was a steel to this woman as well. Brandon could sense it in her, just as Brandon could sense it radiating from the different men around him. Her bright green eyes smiled up at Mantilo as she stepped closer to him. And instantly, Brandon realized that they were a couple. Possibly even married. Brandon¡¯s eyes quickly spotted the identical golden wedding bands the two were sporting on their right hands and concluded that Mantilo and the small woman, Glen as Mantilo had called her, were, in fact, married.


    ¡°Maybe he is one of the Hunters from the East? But still, I don¡¯t know why he would come here? So maybe he¡¯s just lost?¡± she said to her husband. Brandon registered her words and frowned up his face. He may not have known much, but he knew about the Hunters. Thieves, murderers for sport or for hire who often invaded Shifter settlements then shot and skinned any Shifters that they managed to catch. Suddenly, the reproductions of staying silent grew by a thousandfold. If they suspected him to be a Hunter, they could kill him.


    And Brandon knew that he was not in any position to defend himself. He was outnumbered and with only his words to fight within his current state. Brandon finally gave up on being silent and answered the man¡¯s question.


    ¡°A Hunter? No, I¡¯m not anything like those people.¡± He scoffed out loud at her and instantly he sensed every man in the room tense and pay him more attention. If that was even possible. As if Brandon opening his mouth had reminded them that he really was alive and a threat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I just got lost out there, stumbled into the trees, and then¡­..and then¡­..¡± Brandon put a hand to his temple then dropped it. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t remember much else after that.¡± Brandon shrugged. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t remember hurting anyone¡­and I don¡¯t know what else you want me to say.¡±


    The menacing man, ¡°Mantilo,¡± Brandon reminded himself, let the broken silence ride for a moment. Then he said. ¡°So you¡¯re not a Hunter? Then who are you? You say you¡¯re lost, but there aren¡¯t any mortal establishments for miles and miles. Besides, there is a giant dense forest surrounding this entire place? You were miles inside of it, only steps from stumbling into our village. Most mortals wouldn¡¯t be able to navigate it, much less go into a strange forest if they are trying to find their way home.¡±


    Mantilo looked him over, his yellow eyes filled with dislike. ¡°I saw you when you first arrived. No personal possessions, no money, no food¡­..Filthy and sick. Were you trying to steal from us? Mortals have come here and broken into our lands before and tried to steal. Some of them have even attempted to rob us for money. And they were certainly dealt with.¡± Mantilo glanced at the other prominent men in the room, then glared at Brandon as if to say that he was something that needed to be dealt with. ¡°So why did you come here?¡±


    Brandon debated adopting a stony silence once more, but what good would it do him now? ¡°I¡¯m not a killer, a thief, or a child.¡± He told Mantilo instead. ¡°You have no reason to accuse me and I don¡¯t have any reason to answer to you! You can¡¯t interrogate me!¡±


    ¡°No reason?¡± Mantilo growled and Brandon was slightly frightened when the man¡¯s eyes quickly changed between one word and the next. Feral cat eyes glared down at him and Brandon was struck silent when Mantilo¡¯s brown irises, glowing yellow like two suns. ¡°It¡¯s awfully fucking convenient that you don¡¯t know anything about t anything~¡± Mantilo pointed out. ¡°Not only do you refuse to answer any of my questions. You¡¯ve now attacked my son TWICE in two days! What else are we to believe!?¡± Mantilo nearly shouted at him.


    Brandon slammed his hands into the bed, disgusted with the man¡¯s tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened in the wood! But when I woke up, I didn¡¯t attack him until he came after me! He chased me! I was just trying to get away from him! I had to get away!¡±


    ¡°Get away?¡± Glen, Mantilo¡¯s wife asked him suddenly. Pulling Brandon¡¯s attention from Mantilo to her. ¡°You have no reason to be afraid of us. We haven¡¯t harmed you in any way. In fact, if my son hadn¡¯t carried you here, you may well have died from that wound in your lower side.¡±


    Brandon blinked as her words hit him.


    So the blue-eyed man brought me here for healing? But why?


    He wondered to himself, then he said to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to attack him, but no one asked him for his help¡­.¡± Brandon told them all, specifically, he spoke to Glen. He figured she was the best one to talk to right then. Calmer. Less glowing eyes about her.


    ¡°But you did receive our aid¡­¡± Glen told him softly, if firmly. She was obviously trying to keep the situation from escalating too far. ¡°One kindness deserves another, stranger. We saved your life. Now explain to me why you were trespassing here in the first place?¡±


    Brandon¡¯s gut was cramped as guilt tried to overcome him. And instantly hating that he felt even a little bit bad about any of this, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but clam up once more. What did these¡­.things understand about him? What right did they have to treat him like a prisoner or a threat? What could they possibly even begin to know about his situation?


    Nothing!! That¡¯s what!


    Brandon didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. He didn¡¯t owe these people anything. Correction¡­.he didn¡¯t owe these Shifters anything. And he would not be bullied, no matter what they did to him. Physical pain he could handle if it came down to it.


    ¡°I command you to SPEAK!!¡± Mantilo bellowed, his glowing eyes burning with impatience and anger now as the silence went on for a minute.


    ¡°Kiss my ass! First of all, you can¡¯t command me to do anything.¡± Brandon yelled back at him, and his wife sighed and shot the big man a hiss. ¡°And Secondly, I told you that I got lost. What more do you want from me! You can fucking choose to believe me¡­.or not. I don¡¯t care!¡± Brandon exclaimed. Then he found himself flashing his middle finger at Mantilo, just to piss the man off more. And even though Brandon couldn¡¯t have known how much of a mistake that was, something in him quailed at the anger he could feel focused on him only a few seconds later.


    Mantilo stepped closer to the bed with a hiss that sounded all too beastly. Brandon looked down and away and closed his eyes. He knew that the man was going to strike him now, but no hands fell on him. A second after he flinched away from Mantilo, the Shifter growled and said four words to Brandon.


    ¡°I want you gone.¡± He breathed heavily.


    Brandon paused, still waiting to be struck, then he looked up at the Shifter and was chilled by the yellow eyes that pinned him down. Violence simmered in Mantilo¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t tolerate intruders. Especially intruders with no respect for my home! I should have let you bleed to death, but for my wife¡¯s kindness, you still live. So whatever you were doing here¡­.you have worn out your welcome!¡± Mantilo told him. Once again, his voice dipped, sounding more like the growling rasp of an animal than a man. ¡°I want you out of my house and off my lands by first light tomorrow, or I will kill you in this bed. Limping or crawling I want you out of here!¡±


    Brandon glared back at the Shifter as he turned away without another word and began to usher his wife out of the room with him.


    Unable to stay quiet, Brandon spoke at his rigid back.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said to the man as he walked out. ¡°You don¡¯t have to yell at me asshole!! I¡¯m gone!¡±


    Everything got way too quiet after he said that. Mantilo¡¯s steps faltered for a moment; he turned back. Eyes still glowing, even brighter now, his face contorted grotesquely, almost shifting into the visage of something with fur and large canines, and slit cat eyes. Brandon was once more caught off guard when a snarl, the snarl of a giant unnatural monster as real as anything he had ever heard before, poured over the small room yet somehow holding on to his calm Brandon withstood it. Refusing to be cowed, Brandon glared back. He stared the Shifter in the eyes until he turned away once more and marched toward the bedroom exit.


    Mantilo¡¯s wife shook her head at her husband¡¯s back, and with a huff, she neared the bed and spoke to Brandon softly. He was surprised to see a bemused smile on her face as she put a hand beside her mouth and bent down beside the bed as though she was going to whisper a secret to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just trying to scare you.¡± She told him softly as she let an even bigger smile come over her enchanting features. Then, purposefully raising her voice until she was nearly shouting, she continued to say, ¡°I PROMISE NO ONE IS PUTTING MY PATIENT OUT UNTIL I SAY SO!!¡±


    Brandon blinked at her as she winked her right eye and turned to follow her husband. The curls bouncing as she went.


    Mantilo hissed again, this time sounding more frustrated then angry and like a towering wind he flung open the bedroom door, and disappeared from sight.


    Glen followed him a moment later, as did the other large men who had sat quietly all the way through the interrogation. For the first time, looking at all of the tall and¡­..handsome men, Brandon began to suspect that these men were family members of the blue-eyed man as well.


    Were they his brothers? Brandon wondered to himself.


    The last man to leave the room was a green-eyed Shifter with blonde hair who flashed Brandon a dirty sneer. Brandon glared back, and since he was already making friends, he flipped him off as well.


    ¡°Crotchety little bastard aint ya?¡± The man laughed, shook his head, and closed the bedroom door as he swept into the hallway. And Brandon was suddenly left alone.

 Chapter 24 - No Chice

    Chapter 24 ¨C No Choice


    It was only in the silence that Brandon allowed himself to acknowledge his racing heartbeat and the fear. The mind splitting agony thrumming across his belly. And it was only in the loneliness that he started to piece his choices together.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡± he said to himself, closing his eyes. Now that Brandon was alone and his relative safety was assured, at least for a few more hours, he allowed himself a moment or two to reflect on his current situation.


    My gloves.


    An image of thin, wrist-tight black leather gloves came into his mind. He didn¡¯t waste the time looking around for them. They were gone. So was his blade and the rest of his clothing.


    Sadly, the gloves were the first thing that he thought of because he didn¡¯t truly own anything else. The blade he had bought for protection. The gloves had been the only thing that he could bring with him when he ran. He resented their loss for a few moments but soon had to move on.


    Brandon then quickly examined his wounds, only to realize he had been given a lot of first aid. White gauze and bandages bound him tightly, almost everywhere on his upper body and legs. They were wrapped all around his chest and stomach, as well as his right hand and his left leg. But even with his body tightly bound in bandages, he still felt a knawing pain all along his side.


    How on earth did I pull through that one? As weak as I was, that last hit should have ended me...


    Brandon thought to himself. He remembered the desperation, the howling on the night wind, the pain opening up his side, and the heavy flow of warm blood. Brandon pushed those memories away. They made him sick. He pressed a hand to his inflamed skin around the bandages and bit back a scream as his entire body tried to collapse on him.


    Just touching the bandages hurts like a mother!!


    He thought to himself as he fell back into the bed and shakily sighed away the scream bundled in his chest.


    Brandon sighed as he barely managed to pull the covers he had displaced back up over himself.


    Unexpectedly, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He tried to think of all the things these Shifters could be beneath their mortal illusions, but his information about the ways of the world was as shallow as a bird¡¯s bath.


    Honestly, all he had ever had were the books. The pictures in them told him about the world beyond. The world he couldn¡¯t see. But more than anything else, he knew that his knowledge of Shifters was thin.


    He only knew that Shifters could change shape, but finding out what they could do didn¡¯t really tell him WHAT they could become. Brandon knew that a Shifter could retain mortal shape by locking up their true appearance somehow. He knew very little about them or even how they managed it. He could remember one book telling him that there were multiple kinds of Shifters and that each kind chose to live in large packs or Clans.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    He understood that there were as many as Seven Shifter Clans. Yet Brandon was hard-pressed to guess what Clan existed where or what those Clans were called.


    There were only two Clans that the book had named, and they had been the Dog Clan and the Bird Clan. Brandon didn¡¯t know what any of those Shifters were like, but he had a good feeling that he wasn¡¯t around and any dogs or birds. The Shifters that he had encountered so far roared and hissed like felines.


    Brandon racked his brain. He tried to remember if there was a map in the books he had read. Something that would help him figure out just where he was...or what these strangers were. But he came up empty.


    He had been running blind for a long time now. No maps. No direction. Just running.


    He had absolutely no natural way of knowing what Clan he had managed to first invade and then anger. All Brandon knew was that he had to get out of this place. He couldn¡¯t be sure who he was dealing with.....he couldn¡¯t trust these people. And when he closed his eyes, he saw those bright yellow slit eyes glaring at him from within the face of a man. The beast within threatened him. They could kill him. They hated Brandon for hurting the blue-eyed Shifter, or at least the large male Mantilo did.


    Glen seemed to like him for some strange reason that he didn¡¯t care to decipher.


    And then there was the blue-eyed Shifter he had accidentally attacked out in the woods. From what Brandon had been able to understand, the man he had attacked was their son? He suddenly wished he had asked for his name. Why had he brought Brandon here? Why had he gotten into so much trouble when Mantilo had caught him with Brandon, and why was Brandon even thinking about him?


    I don¡¯t care!


    He told himself


    Brandon was sure that he was never going to see the blue-eyed Shifter again, but even as he thought this, Brandon couldn¡¯t help trying to recall his features. And unlike the aggressive and almost feral and gaze of Mantilo...


    The blue eyes Brandon saw and thought about.....calmed him. For a moment, Brandon almost wondered where Mantilo had sent the blue-eyed man to? But as Brandon caught his mind drifting in that direction, he purposely turned it to other things.


    Brandon quickly decided that the first thing he had to worry about was getting out of that room, but even as Brandon tried to find the strength or even the will to move, it slipped right back out of his grasp.


    Sighing, Brandon quickly realized that he didn¡¯t even have the strength left to move his feet to the edge of the bed. His desperate tussle with the male Shifter and his subsequent interrogation by Mantilo and Glen had left him totally drained. Brandon wanted to ignore the frailty he felt and the way his whole body felt like it was shaking, but no amount of denial was getting him out of that bed anytime soon. He found his resolve to go weakening.


    He had to rest. For once....he had to stop.


    His head hurt terribly just from thinking and this was the first time, in a long time, that Brandon had slept in anything as soft as a bed.


    And though he should have wanted to put as much distance between himself and the aggressive Mantilo, oddly enough, Brandon didn¡¯t feel like he was in danger. Or at least he wasn¡¯t in trouble for at least another eight hours. So, instead of making preparations to get the hell out of these people''s homes, Brandon found himself collapsing back and swiftly melting away.


    Right now, but tomorrow...he would find the strength to move. Deep down, he knew that he was lying to himself, but what else could he do.


    Soon he had to move on, even if this cursed body could not carry him.

 Chapter 25 - I Am Uneasy

    Chapter 25 -Uneasy


    Glen stalked behind Mantilo all the way to the bottom floor of their home.


    A soft warmth crawled all along her arms and brushed her spine. A feminine hiss curled down her throat. She ignored her sons as they trailed behind both her and Mantilo; no doubt they were waiting to see what was about to transpire.


    Angrily stomping along, her Mate''s ire seemed to rumble in the space like a physical thing. Mantilo stomped down the steps in front of her, awareness of his wild emotions, the faint heat of shift energy dancing in the air, and the scent of his inner beast tickling her senses. Pulling up many different responses from her. The strongest of them is pleasure. Even amid rage...the female Shifter and the woman in her couldn''t help but be excited at the familiar tingle of their mate floating into her lungs. It was a tingle that Glen always felt when she caught Mantilo''s scent or simply saw him walking around or standing beside her.


    She was genuinely crazy about her mate. She treasured her husband. And Glen knew that there was no one else for her or anyone else that she would be able to walk beside except for him.


    Every never ending in her body was his to destroy.....and vice versa.


    But maybe that was why she currently wanted to strangle him to death?


    Another hiss crawled up her throat as Mantilo stepped off the bottom landing and headed for the door, pretending not to hear her displeasure.


    So Glen slammed her foot into the ground as she stopped on the last stair step and openly snarled at him.


    Suddenly, Mantilo turned and roared back at her.


    "What in gods name is wrong with you, woman!" he snarled, his irises slit like the cat hidden inside of him. "Why are you hissing up a storm?"


    "You!" Glen growled, pointing at him. "You are unbelievable, Mantilo! Did you hear yourself back there, acting like a mindless beast? You almost Shifted just so you could scare the stranger half to death!!"


    Mantilo hissed at her. "How I choose to deal with that intruder is none of your concern."


    "What in God''s name is wrong with you?" Glen snapped back at him. "You threatened him! You threatened to kill him! He''s a boy!"


    "Damn right, I did! And I meant it! He''s a threat to us." Mantilo growled down at her. He outstood her by a good five or six feet, even though she had the step she was standing on to make her stand taller. But as he used his size to dominate her, he only made Glen angrier.


    Glen rolled her eyes. Sometimes, the men in her life boggled her mind. "Mantilo, you said so yourself...He is just a mortal boy and one that is possibly no older than Ezekiel. He''s practically two days from death and, not to mention half your size and barely half your age....and you feel challenged by him!!?"


    Mantilo''s right hand balled into a meaty fist that he slammed into his leg. "I want that....little bastard out of my house!"


    "You don''t know anything about him! You can''t just get rid of someone because you don''t like their attitude. He can''t be moved anytime soon!" Glen rebuffed, feeling horrified.


    "I can...and I will." Mantilo snarled, brushing aside her objections, and Glen was surprised and alerted by his tone. He sounded so cold and heartless to her just then....but in all the years of their Mating and marriage, she had never associated coldness or heartlessness with him.


    "What are you doing, Mantilo? This isn''t like you!" Glen growled, feeling a sharp tooth cutting into her cheek as her canines sharpened.


    She took a step back from him and from the anger. Mantilo was not a mindless bully or a fool. She respected his mind and his wisdom...and he respected hers. Yelling at him was only distorting that... And Glen realized that she had to calm him down, or they would just continue to argue in circles.


    She took a deep breath and reached down into her soul. She calmed the Leopard in her, wrapped it in her will, refocused the beast inside, pulled in the heat on her skin, and then sensed Mantilo''s energy.


    It was a potent mixture of anger and frustration, but it was driven by an anxious and wound-up mind. Now that Glen wasn''t bogged down in her own emotions, she could sense the tension in him. His soul...his beast was terribly unbalanced, and so was he.


    "Mantilo, listen to me...." She began this time with all the calm that she could muster. But Mantilo cut her off.


    "Wait!" Mantilo barked at her. And with a sigh, she leaned back on the rail beside her. Mantilo hissed and bent to the side so that he could look behind her at their sons. "This conversation is not a show. Leave us alone to talk." He demanded softly. "You all have work to get done....so go do it."


    All of their sons shifted on the steps behind Glen and hesitantly moved to obey. She knew they were all curious where this situation would end up once they left, but Glen was glad of the chance to speak without them there to witness any arguing.


    Lander softly moved to Glen''s side and kissed her on the cheek.


    "Be safe out there." She told them as she returned it, then he walked down the rest of the steps, past his father, and towards the front door. Nate kissed her as well and hurried to follow him. Walter brushed past his mother and his father and joined his siblings, but before Lander could get the door fully open, Mantilo hissed at them. "Walters in charge for right now. I''ll be busy with other things in the Northern Fields. So, let Walter assign you your patrols for the afternoon. And if you see Ezekiel, tell him he''ll be sleeping in the garage if he oversteps again."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Lander and Nate exchanged bemused smiles. But none of their sons made any sounds or objections to his orders, so Mantilo waved them on, and they disappeared out of the doorway. A few seconds of silence rained before Mantilo turned back to her, his entire presence brimming with anger.....and an unwillingness to continue the argument.


    "Glen....we aren''t gonna keep fighting about this." He said, walking right up to her as she straightened up from the banister.


    "Ok....we don''t have to fight. I don''t wanna yell at you anymore. "She said to him, coming down the steps to stand directly in front of him. "But.....your behavior upsets me my heart," Glen told him softly. "I can sense the storm in your mind about all of this. Tell me, what is wrong?"


    Glen watched him as he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. The action was so similar to Ezekiel''s movements that she would have smiled at it any other time. "Must there be something wrong with me? Is it not enough that I want the Mortal gone because I don''t like him?" Mantilo grumped at her.


    "No, there is something wrong. In your heart. I can tell." Glen said to him softly. She reached out and touched his chest with the palm of her right hand. "We both share this heart...so of course I can tell. Talk to me."


    Mantilo paused and looked away. Then he said, "I feel this heaviness in my stomach. There is something strange on the wind ever since the Mortal showed up. Something whispering to me that he shouldn''t have come here." He explained to her.


    Mantilo...and all the people in her Clan believed in ill omens and trusted their instincts to guide them in times of crisis. In the past, a feeling or change in the air signaled danger. A superstition that had guided her people soundly away from many disasters, and it was something that many Clan Chiefs in the past, like Mantilo, felt compelled to heed. So when something felt bad, they listened to that feeling above all else.


    Glen tried to laugh away his somber tone.


    "Mantilo.....everything outside of this village is not trying to kill us...or hurt us." She pointed out to him with a soft smile. But Mantilo just glared at her. "I am not afraid of him, woman. I simply want him gone."


    Glen shook her head at him. "But why? Because he was rude to you!?"


    Mantilo scoffed. "No....his smart little mouth didn''t wound me or my pride." He said, then he stopped and seemed to struggle with a thought before he could voice it. "It''s because I know that there is something about him that isn''t right....and I think....you know it too, Glen." Mantilo hissed at her softly, looking into her eyes. And even though she tried to hide it, she couldn''t keep him from seeing that she understood him. That she had felt what he had felt about the Mortal.


    "You and I sense it.....and so do the boys. Ezkeiels acting like he''s lost his marbles...and honestly, I''ve never known the boy to give so much of his attention to anyone." Mantilo began. "Lander tells me that he cannot read the mortals'' emotions or sense his thoughts. Even when the Mortal was asleep, he couldn''t break through his walls." Mantilo said to her softly. "Lander tells me that this mortal has a block stronger than steel around his mind." Mantilo shook his head. "Now I ask you... Do normal mortals even know of such a thing? They are shallow people cut off from supernatural powers. Only the strongest or wisest of them even stumble upon it...So why would some young mortal already know how to do it?"


    "I don''t know, but...." Glen opened her mouth, ready to argue with him some more. She tried to tell him that there was something important about the Mortal that he didn''t understand. Something that she had been hiding. But Mantilo was done talking.


    "Glen!" Mantilo barked, cutting her off completely. He reached forward and held her face between his hands. He pulled her towards him softly and looked her in the eyes. "Glen, just this once... you''ve got to let this go! You''ve sensed it too....I know you have. There is something wrong."


    Glen did sense it. But that was one of the things that she and he often argued about the most. Their guts...or their instincts couldn''t rule their entire lives. Glen believed that they were more than beasts...and more than men. Mantilo thought that anything that was foreign or outside of the Clan was dangerous, and he had his own reasons for believing that. Things in their combined pasts that would make him deaf to anything else that she said on the Mortal''s behalf just then.


    But she wanted to try once more because even though Glen had sensed how strange the Mortal was....She had seen things that she couldn''t ignore.


    Things on the Mortal''s body that spoke to her. Things that.....she didn''t want to reveal yet. Things she had no right to disclose.


    Glen sighed and put a hand over one of the one he had on her cheeks. "He''s so sick, Mantilo. You can''t seriously plan to move him in this state. His ody is broken down. Please If you''ll just let him stay here a little longer...?"


    Mantilo closed and opened his dark eyes slowly as he dropped his hands to her shoulders. "Glen the mortal makes me uneasy. I....I don''t want him here any longer than he has to be."


    "But Mantilo, he needs a few more days of medical attention....!" Glen began.


    "I said no!" Mantilo hissed at her, his eyes flashing dimly for a moment a stark yellow. Glen bit her tongue and looked away, feeling defeated...because she knew that he wasn''t budging.


    Mantilo sighed, took her hand, and kissed the palm of it, then he put it over his large chest directly over the clam-heavy thump of his heart." Listen to me. I can''t explain it right now..... but there is something off about him, Glen. My gut is telling me that this is something that we need to steer clear of. My Clan and my family come first to me. Your safety is more important to me than doing the right thing for a stranger. So tomorrow... he''s gone." Mantilo hissed and looked away from her. "I''m sorry my Heart. I know you wanted to help him...but this is for the best."


    And Glen couldn''t do anything but kiss him goodbye, a kiss that was soft and sweet despite their tones with each other.


    "Stay safe....and try to keep away from the Mortal until I return tonight or one of our sons returns from thier patrol." He told her, and then his strong back was disappearing out of the door.


    Glen sighed. She didn''t know how to persuade him otherwise. Nor did she plan to trample all over his objections....but still she had a niggling thought in her mind that wouldn''t go away. She saw the nameless Mortals wounds in her mind, she felt his guts beneath her fingertips as she pushed them back into his body, fingertips slick with his essence. She remembered the ache in her hand from all the stitches she had had to apply to make up for the missing skin, the smell of rot and puss in his wounds that she had had to clean out.


    And Glen feared that he was still going to die despite her best efforts.


    Glen guessed that if the Mortal had another spontaneous bout of movement anytime soon....his body wouldn''t be able to handle the stress. He was low on blood, fighting an unknown infection...and his body... His body was terribly fragile.


    The healer in her rebelled at the idea of just letting Mantilo do as he pleased. Whether the Mortal was strange or not...Whether he was dangerous or not?


    Surely, he doesn''t deserve to be dropped off in the forest and left to die...


    She told herself.

 Chapter 26 - Try Again

    Chapter 26 ¨C Try Again


    Ezekiel walked back through the front door to their Mansion with determination.


    Almost two days had passed since he had gotten caught up with the mortal.


    Ezekiel had spent that time on thin ice and mostly far away from the house and out in the villages. Which was not something completely new.


    As Guardians, Ezekiel and his brothers sometimes spent days...to a week, out of the home fixing one Clan issue or another.


    Ezekiel had spent time cleaning and running errands in the village to burn away the curiosity about what was happening with the stranger. But he still wondered what was going on at home.


    Unfortunately, their Clan Lands were so extensive that Ezekiel didn''t catch a glimpse of any of his brothers, and he didn''t exactly think he should go home yet.


    Still sleeping in grassy fields beneath the sky for the last day and a half had left Ezekiel on the outer loop of things, and despite the tension... Ezekiel grew restless with a need to scout out the situation himself. So there he was in the Mansion...secretly sure that his father was going to rip him a new one.


    Walking back into the house, Ezekiel instantly realized that he was absolutely dying for a meal, but even though he should have felt good to be home after a long few hours of patrols, he didn''t. In fact, the same home that Ezekiel had known all his life and had always found comfort in gave him very little peace.


    When he came in through the heavy wooden front door and let the dimming sunlight play across the bright red diamond-shaped stain glass widows etched into the middle of the door as he softly shut it behind him. Instantly, Ezekiel couldn''t help but notice the change in the air. A change that had tickled his subconscious for almost a week now. Ezekiel couldn''t believe that in only half a week, his entire home had gotten turned upside down. But it had.


    It was a subtle change that he only picked up because of his inner beast. The big cat within never failed to bring the details of his environment to his attention, and many times, his Leopard had protected him. By alerting him to the unnatural crack of a branch, the smell of decay from a weakened pine tree, or even the change in air pressure that signaled rains or thunderstorms approaching.


    His Leopard''s senses had always kept him fully aware of every change that could harm him, but he honestly wished it would let this one slip by. There was a scent in the air now. The mortal had put it there. It was a soft scent that twined down the familiar hallways of his home, changing his surroundings in an almost imperceptible way. And because the smell was new, his Leopard reacted to it, the energy of the Shift pouring out his core, changing his eyes and teeth so that his pupils contracted to thin slits and his canines lengthened behind his lips. It was a protective gesture, something that always happened around new things. At least.... that''s what Ezekiel told himself.


    He ignored the fact that he found the scent in the air mildly....attractive? He ignored the fact that every time he came into the house, he sought out the scent of the mortal, insuring himself that his father hadn''t made good on his threats yet. He also ignored the fact that every time he caught the mortal''s scent, he breathed easier than before. Somehow, marking his continued proximity to the mortal calmed him. But Ezekiel shook the bizarre feeling away every time. He told himself each time that his eyes and teeth didn''t grow because the mortals'' scent excited him, but because it was something new in his environment, he was forced to react to. That''s what Ezekiel told himself.


    Ezekiel closed his eyes and quickly forced the energy that his Leopard was putting out back down inside of himself. His eyes rapidly changed back to normal, and just as he felt his fangs shrink away, he sensed the presence of another coming toward him.


    Ezekiel scented the air and quickly realized that his mother was approaching him. Ezekiel waited patiently for her to come into the room, and once again, he couldn''t help but notice that even her scent had changed since the mortal had arrived. When she came around the corner a few feet before him, he instantly caught the look in her eyes and the smell of her. His mother''s emotions, which had always been bubbly and upbeat, now tinged the air with nervous energy. She smelled...almost scared of something.


    He had never scented such troubled emotions from her before, and it was not only her. He could sense it in the air now; something had disturbed his entire family since last he had seen them.


    Instantly, his mind jumped to the only possible conclusion. Something had happened with the mortal.


    "What happened?" Ezekiel asked her. But she only shook her head at him. Once she got close enough to reach out and grab his hand, she tugged on it softly and pulled him along with her down the hallway to the left of the door that led into the living room.


    Ezekiel let her pull him along, and he soon got an answer to his question when his mother turned to him and said. "Your father won''t listen to me." She took her hand from his grasp and wrung it with her other. Her bright green eyes were clouded with misgiving. "I tried to tell him that that boy is terribly sick."


    "What''s going on mom?" Ezekiel tried to soothe her by speaking slower and softer.


    "The mortal Ezekiel, he''s not well at all. He''s all skin and bones, mostly starved. And his wounds. It ...it was like someone pulled his guts out, and he stuffed them back inside. That''s how it looked to me when I operated on him. I don''t know how he''s even still alive. He should have bleed to death by now. And I know I stitched his wounds up, but it would be a miracle if he manages to gain his feet in the next three days. I''d be even more surprised if he makes it another day before he falls over dead in front of us. He can''t move yet."


    "Mom.... that''s just not possible," Ezekiel told her. He couldn''t believe that a mortal that was wrestling with him so fiercely only a few days ago was still in such bad shape. "You didn''t see him, but I did. When he woke up, he was like a firecracker. He was everywhere. He was fast and alert and strong!"


    Glen shook her head. "Well, I don''t know what you saw or what he did in those moments after he woke up, but that mortal was still dying. When he woke up, he was nearly dead, and he is currently still on the death''s doorstep."


    "Man, so he really must have had a number done on him." Ezekiel breathed. "So what happened to him out there? Did he tell you who he is or where he came from?" He asked her.


    His mother shook her head. "No," she told him, dropping her hands and walking further into the room.


    It was only once Ezekiel got further into the room that he realized that he and his mother were not alone. He quickly caught sight of his brothers Walter, Lander, and Nate. Nate and Lander were sitting down on two couches situated across from one another with a coffee table between them. Speaking in hushed voices and, at first, ignoring everyone else in the room. Ezekiel spotted his eldest brother, Walter, a moment later, standing to the side. He was in the far corner, gazing out of the window into the moonlight night, but his gaze quickly and suddenly connected with Ezekiels as he came further into the room. He nodded.


    Then he looked away. Glen walked over to Nate and Lander, and after a moment, Ezekiel went to join her. And got a first-hand glimpse of the chaos that the mortal had stirred up.


    "Don''t you think he''s overreacting? The mortal seems harmless to me." Nate was saying to Lander, and Ezekiel realized that he was talking about their father. His two-toned eyes peering at Lander from across the table were filled with incredulous humor.


    "Harmless? Whatever that mortal is...I can''t read him, Nate."


    "SO," Nate said, casting Ezekiel a frustrated smile. As Lander rolled his angry green eyes.


    "SO.... he''s hiding something! I''m telling you, he ain''t normal!" Lander barked at him. "And did you see him give Dad the finger!? That little bastard has no respect. Dad was right to get angry with him."


    Nate sighed, his smirk turning slightly serious. "Lander dad didn''t just get angry with the mortal. He basically sentenced the mortal to death." Lander rolled his eyes and looked away, but Nate kept talking. He leaned forward in his seat as he said. "Dad''s gonna toss him out there into the woods, and he''ll die out there in hours from his wounds! I could smell the rot and the fever on him. He shouldn''t be moved yet, or that infection will spread."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Lander shrugged. "Well, maybe the mortal shouldn''t have been such a hard ass!?"


    Lander and Nate both made sounds of disgust in their throats as they looked away from each other and stopped talking for a moment to wave Ezekiel further into the room. Ezekiel smiled at Lander, patted Nate on the shoulder, and eased his way into the conversation.


    "So it sounds like I missed something exciting, huh?" He said in a light manner. Even though what he had heard so far disturbed him. Suddenly, the tension in the air he''d been feeling the last few days made sense.


    It seemed to him like the mortal had made a fatal error.


    He had somehow angered Ezekiel''s father. Of course, Ezekiel knew that it wouldn''t have been hard to make his father unhappy, especially since Ezekiel had already made him blow a gasket twice that week.


    A side of Ezekiel worried that his father''s displeasure with him and his mistrust of the mortal had made everything far, far worse.


    Sighing, Ezekiel said, "I''m confused. What are you guys doing down here? Your patrols must have ended hours ago?" Ezekiel said, standing beside his mother and looking down at his brothers on the couches.


    "Well, I ain''t here by choice, trust me." Lander grumbled at Ezekiel, turning from his conversation with Nate to shoot him a look of dissatisfaction. "You crazy people won''t stop dragging me into this crap. Mom practically dragged me down here."


    Nate rolled his eyes at him and said to Ezekiel. "NONE of us had anything better to do. And...we were all a little restless. So we figured we''d come to a decision before everything hit the fan tomorrow."


    "We are all anxious," Walter stated in his normal, simple manner, not even bothering to turn from the window to address his brothers. "Dad refuses to talk about this rationally, but someone needs to."


    "Well, what do you wanna do?" Ezekiel said to all of them. "Mom said dad''s gonna toss him out. But.... It''s not like Dad''s gonna change his mind if we continue to argue with him. And it''s kind of hard to go around him on this one."


    "Well, maybe we don''t have to just throw the stranger out into the wilds to die; maybe if he talks to us, we can figure out where his family is? If possible, we can get him somewhere safe and clean. That would be best," Glen said to them. Her green eyes were big with optimism.


    "Or if he talks to us, it could convince Dad that he is not a threat. Then Father will calm down, and the mortal can continue to receive treatment for his wounds here." Nate said. A characteristic calm smile was still plastered on his face.


    "Yeah, sure....good luck with all that." Lander laughed at him from across the coffee table. "Come on, Fido, think about it. The mortal is not talking to anyone. He clammed up the second dad started interrogating him." Lander shifted until he was partially facing Ezekiel from his seat. "Dad and the mortal got into a yelling match seconds after they met, and before you knew it, Dad got so frustrated that he threatened to kill him! And you know, Dad never changes his mind once he''s made a decision. Ezekiel, even if you do get the mortal talking to you...."


    "Wait..." Ezekiel said, cutting him off. He glanced from Lander back to Nate and shook his head. "I get it now. I''m supposed to go and talk to him? You want me to interrogate the mortal, don''t you?"


    "What....you scared, little bro?" Lander hissed at him.


    "You know what? I''m ignoring you." Ezekiel said and turned to his mother. "Why do you want me to talk to the mortal? You''re his healer, Mom; won''t he trust you more?"


    Glen twisted her lips and shrugged. "There was no special reason why. You''re the one who brought him here. You were there first when he woke up, and you seemed to have a rapport with him. I figured you could build on that."


    "I don''t have anything with this guy except for matching bruises!" Ezekiel said, casting her a soft frown. Secretly, he knew he was just being hesitant because he actually wanted to see the mortal far more than he knew he should have.


    "Oh...Sweetie." His mother suddenly frowned back at him, then smiled and took his hand. "I forgot. You don''t have to do this if you don''t want to! I know the mortal hurt you. He jumped on you and stabbed you, and now your father is furious with you. Are you regretting helping him now? It''s understandable...."


    Ezekiel sighed. "No, it''s not that. I don''t hate him or anything...."


    If anything, I like the mortal, and we haven''t even said more than a few words to each other.


    Ezekiel thought to himself. For a moment, the mortal''s scent hit him hard, then the sting of it faded again. He saw the mortal fighting him, his skin warm like an oven locked against Ezekiel''s chest.


    The smell of him...


    "So you don''t wanna do it? Just say so, Ezekiel." Nate asked him suddenly, pulling Ezekiel out of his thoughts.


    Ezekiel rubbed the back of his neck and laughed hopelessly at himself. "Well, it''s not like I don''t want to help, but every time I get involved, I just seem to make matters worse. The mortal has attacked me multiple times. I don''t think he even wants me near him anymore....and if Dad finds out that I went against his orders again.....he would slaughter me!"


    "Oh, don''t worry about your father. Just leave him to me." His mother said. And for the first time, he got the feeling that she really did have some personal stake in the mortal, but why or what it was that was making Glen so anxious, he didn''t understand.


    Then again, how can I understand her? When I don''t even understand my own needs to get involved.


    Ezekiel told himself.


    He smiled at her as he dropped his arm and said. "Ok....If I can get him talking and if he doesn''t go ape shit on me again....." Ezekiel shrugged. "We....can go from there."


    ***


    Ezekiel made his way to the second floor, landing with his family in-toe.


    In the late hours of the night, candlelight warmed the walls and cast shadows in their wake. Ezekiel, his mother Glen, and his brothers walked in companionable silence. Ezekiel had never really came to understand or like his parent''s preference for using candles and flame in place of the normal lighting techniques that many of the other Shifters in their Clan choose to use. But Glen and Mantilo were old souls. Shifters born in vastly different times then the current and chaotic year of 2015. Ezekiel''s parents had walked the earth for almost a century, and in a lot of ways, their mindset toward technology hadn''t changed.


    And as if to make the situation even more impossible, most power lines and electricity would have to come from outside of Clans forests. Siphoned from the mortal cities nearby. It had taken Ezekiel and his brother developing a unified front against their parents just to get a few lamps put in, central AC, and basic kitchen appliances. Ezekiel and Nate had managed to sneak in two laptops and set of washing machines before their father had finally put his foot down and banned them from putting up anything else in the main house.


    Unfortunately...Ezekiel still struggled to explain to them the concept of phones and Wi-Fi to his parents, and so they made due with the candles, no cell phones, and if any of them wanted to watch a game on TV, they had to visit a neighbor. Yet the calm lighting far from hindered Ezekiel and his family from making their way to the second floor and down the hall to the mortal''s bedroom. When he came to the door, he turned to his family and put up his hand to stall them.


    "Hold on...." He said softly to them. He stepped away from them as he, put his hand on the doorknob and went to crack the door open. "Let me go in first..."


    "Wait, sweetheart.... he''s a little high-strung right now." Glen began to explain. Her hair bounced around her face as she shook her head. "I don''t know if it''s a good idea to approach him alone."


    "But you said that he was still sick, right?" Ezekiel pointed out, taking a step away from the door and back towards her and his brothers. "He''s sick....and weak. What''s the worst he can do?" Ezekiel remembered the mortal''s fancy footwork in the hall, but he ignored that.


    He wasn''t worried about the mortal attacking him again. The mortal wasn''t terribly strong...or vicious. His movements and attacks had been clumsy, slow, and soft. Ezekiel sensed that the mortal may have been skilled in combat if he were in a better, healthier state...but even then....no mortal could hope to best a Shifter. "And he doesn''t have any weapons that he can use on me this time around either. Don''t worry. I''ll be fine going in alone for now."


    But...." Glen bit her lip.


    "Mom..." Ezekiel sighed and went to comfort her, but Walters''s voice cut him off. He was standing beside Lander and Nate and directly behind his mother. He put a giant hand on her small shoulder and squeezed it softly. She looked back at him, and Ezekiel saw his brother''s cold brown eyes soften just for a second.


    "It''s the best plan, Mom. The mortal is in a strange place....and surrounded by Shifters, one of whom just threatened to kill him. So maybe he will be less defensive with only one of us in the room this time." Walter said from behind his mother. His mother hesitated, glanced at Ezekiel, and then nodded.


    "OK," She said, swayed by Walters''s calm words. "Just be careful."


    Walter dropped his hand from Glen''s shoulder.


    His brown eyes shifted to Ezekiel, suddenly filled with cold indifference once more, as he regarded his younger brother. "Can you please hurry it up! I''m... tired." He hissed softly, turned and walked to the wall opposite the mortal''s door, and leaned back on it without another word.


    Before Ezekiel could do as he asked, Lander patted Ezekiel''s shoulder. "Just don''t let him stab you anymore, Ezekiel, or I''ll make him bleed for it ALOT." Lander hissed his tone was light, but the aggressive look in his eyes put Ezekiel on edge. Ezekiel smiled at the beast in Lander dark green eyes, trying to reassure him.


    "Whoa, put away the claws Lander." Ezekiel forced himself to chuckle. "We''re just gonna talk. I''ll be fine. No blood."


    Then, to cut the conversation short, before Lander could get any more upset, Ezekiel stepped back and opened the mortal''s door and disappeared inside. The moment he closed the door, he realized that....there was no heartbeat behind him.


    He instantly spread out his Shifter senses and was assaulted by the smell of the mortal all over again. Blood and the slight smell of rot, sterilizer, and morphine stuck in the air. It all took him over and blended so that new and old scents became one, but the smell that stood out the most was the mortals. A warm spike shot down his throat before he even had a chance to turn away from the door and release the doorknob. It clung to him for a moment before he shook his head, which unfortunately didn''t do anything to stop the thirst that tried to overtake him. A sharp sting....almost as though sand were being poured down his tongue...and something in him knew what would make the sting soften. Ezekiel clutched at his chest as the beast inside clawed at him.


    Shit! Stop it!


    He growled to it...and to himself. He didn''t know what this was....but it was getting stronger every time. Ezekiel pushed his beast down and tried unsuccessfully to clear his throat and swallow, but his mouth was bone dry.


    What the hell?


    Ezekiel sighed, thumped his head on the door, and turned away from it, releasing the doorknob that he didn''t realize he was still clutching.


    And not two seconds after he turned to regard the mortals'' room....he froze. He had expected to see the mortal in the bed in the middle of the room, sleeping or resting. Instead....there was no one there.


    The bed was a mess of sheets and pillows and discarded bloody bandages.


    And the mortal was gone.

 Chapter 27 - Subdue

    Chapter 27- Subdue


    The panic that tried to grip him in that moment was so sudden and so unwanted that Ezekiel shoved the grip it attempted to take on him away instantly. But even as he turned away from panic...he knew that he had to act quickly.


    Ezekiel snarled and turned on his heel and went to pull the door open and alert his family until something across the room smashed into the ground and the sound of desperate scrambling filled the air. And then, two seconds later, all sound ceased.


    Ezekiel''s head snapped in the bathroom''s direction, and with a small hiss, he dropped his hand from the doorknob and tiled his ear toward the bathroom. Silence was all he got at first...then he heard the short, rapid breathing of someone who was desperately trying to hide.


    "Hello?" Ezekiel said, but no answer came back. He hesitated to approach the bathroom for a few moments as he tried to parcel out the mortal''s exact whereabouts in the other room by sound and smell. But his ears only picked up the faintest breath on the air...and his nose was absolutely no help.


    The entire room that he was standing in was absolutely drenched in the smell of the mortal''s strange blood, antiseptic, and the faint tinge of rot from the mortal''s ghastly wounds. Everything was skewed for Ezekiel and his inner beast. So he sighed and walked across the room and stepped into the bathroom doorway cautiously, glancing around to spot the stranger.


    But he didn''t have to look far.


    The first thing Ezekiel saw when he stepped into the doorway was the massive pile of trash spread around half of the bathroom floor. Thin cloths drenched in drying blood, gloves, towels, and napkins soaked in alcohol/ chloroform, a shattered soap holder, discarded bandage and gauze packages, and an overturned medium-sized wastebasket covered the tiles and rugs leading over from the sink to the toilet, and shower. And there, standing slightly hunched over his side, with bandages still over his forehead, was a shaky, handsome, if somewhat pale, feral-looking green-eyed mortal. The sight of him was instantly effecting, evoking the feeling one would get seeing a large, beautiful Buck standing perched in the woods, ready to fight or flee at the crack of a twig.


    The second the mortals eyes met Ezekiels his entire body went ridged with violence. He didn''t speak he charged at him. Ezekiel assumed that he was trying to escape again and threw his hand in front of him in the universal sign of STOP. But the mortal just came at him faster.


    "Hey...Hey, wait!"


    Ezekiel said, and he would have grabbed the stranger and stopped him, but a second before the mortal got close enough for him to apprehend, his light green eyes glazed over in a scary light, and he reached beneath his shirt and pulled out a syringe.


    Suddenly, the image of the bathroom in discord and the gauze and bloody cloths all over the ground.


    Damn it....he raided the trash for a weapon and found the needles that mom must have thrown away...!


    Ezekiel realized as the mortal came upon him, drew back, and tried to plunge the needle into his arm. Ezekiel jumped back out of the bathroom doorway.


    "Ye-ouch! Are you freaking serious...!" Ezekiel growled as he dodged three more swipes and stabs that the mortal tried to deliver with the syringe clenched in his hand. Then suddenly, faking another thrust down, the mortal jumped forearm, slammed his hand into Ezekiel''s throat, and shoved him back into the wall with a solid thump as Ezekiel''s momentum was suddenly interrupted.


    Ezekiel snarled as the leopard inside of his roared in outrage. Ezekiel let the power surge up, and as he let his claws flow out of his fingertips and his teeth lengthen into fangs....the only thing that snapped him back to rational thought was the sharp and uncomfortable prick against his corroded artery.


    "Have you come to kill me?" The mortal whispered in his ear as he pushed on the needle he held to Ezekiel''s throat. The tip of it just about to prick his skin. With the prospect of having a needle jammed into his throat, it took Ezekiel a moment to register what precisely the mortal was saying, but when it did finally dawn on him, he hissed in frustration.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Kill you? What the hell are you talking about? No one''s trying to...." Ezekiel said, speaking in a steady, soft voice as well. He adapted the mortals near whisper. He didn''t struggle....he could see how upset and panicked the mortal was, and Ezekiel didn''t want him to make a rash mistake and stab him. Nor did he want to scream at him and alert his family to what was going on.


    He knew that the stranger was on terribly thin ice already, and once more, it looked like the current situation was just another misinterpretation born from his father''s actions earlier.


    Ezekiel tried to reach out to the mortal to calm him..... But the man flinched away and pressed the needle against Ezekiel''s neck even harder.


    "Don''t move!" The mortal said, speaking slightly above a whisper now. He sounded frantic and frazzled. "Just stop trying to move....!"


    The door knob jingled suddenly as one of Ezekiel''s family members grabbed the door knob and began to turn it. The mortal''s head whipped from the door to Ezekiel back again, and Ezekiel could nearly feel the panic choking the stranger suddenly. The feral look in his eyes caught Ezekiel by surprise.


    "Ezekiel?" Came his mother''s voice, alerting him to the fact that she was possibly about to walk in. Ezekiels felt the mortal''s attention shift in the direction of the door. His incredible green eyes hardened as he began to pull back, the needle dropping for Ezekiel''s neck, and with a swift spin, he tried to go for the door.


    Mom!


    Ezekiel grabbed the mortal by the throat before he could take a step further, lifted him, and spun. He pushed him into the wall with a territorial snarl.


    The mortal grunted and struggled, but Ezekiel ignored him as he focused on the door.


    "Mom! Don''t come in yet, everything''s okay!" He yelled back at his mother through the door. "We''re talking...so just wait out there until I tell you to come in."


    "Oh..... okay." The door knob made a sharp "Shink" as the bolt slid back into place, and his mother released the latch. "Is...is everything okay?" Glen asked him, but Ezekiel didn''t respond because the mortal was still holding the syringe, and Ezekiel had to get it off him quick.


    For a second, they were at a stalemate, and Ezekiel couldn''t help being slightly distracted by the mortal''s face....he was quite the eye full. His eyes were captivating for no reason. And there was nothing about his face that was feminine, but beneath the sickness his face drew all of Ezekiel''s attention. The almost gossamer eyes that he had, his dirty blond hair just barely brushing the tips of his ears, and a soft mouth.....just like Ezekiel had thought before, the man was effortlessly beautiful, effortless in a way that distracted the mind. But even though his face was just a little bit too bewitching....he wasn''t weak or tiny in comparison to Ezekiel at all. He was only two or three inches shorter than Ezekiel in height.


    He can''t weigh much less than me, either.... I''ve probably got a good twenty pounds on him.


    Ezekiel silently analyzed, glancing at the mortal''s shape, but the clothing the mortal was in, which was obviously too long for him, kept Ezekiel from truly guessing his size and height just then.


    A pair of thick grey sweats that spilled over the mortal''s ankles and feet and a long-sleeved green shirt that still smelled faintly of Nate also obscured most of his skin from Ezekiel, but Ezekiel could still sense the fire on his skin. The heat between them, pure physical steam from his fever almost made Ezkeiel feel ill....the strength of it worried Ezekiel suddenly.


    How the hell is this guy back on his feet? Is he delusional?


    Ezekiel thought to himself....as he took a moment to gauge the heat that he was feeling on the mortal''s neck and the thready heartbeat beneath his palm on the mortal''s neck, and he was both surprised and disturbed.


    Oh man....he must be running a temp of 100 to 103 degrees.... he''s gonna go into a comma if we don''t get him cool.....but man, from the way he moves, you wouldn''t think he was about to drop dead!


    At another time, his strength would have earned him Ezekiel''s respect. But Ezekiel found that the mortal''s behavior towards him only made him frustrated.


    Every time we''ve met, he''s been so high-strung that he refuses to listen to me! I''ve got to get him to see that I''m not a threat.....Then if mom doesn''t want him to die, we''ll have to get him naked and into a cool tub Asap....


    Ezekiel shook off that seemingly inappropriate conclusion as the mortal suddenly bit his lip and looked down at his stomach. The sharp tang of copper came over him.


    Wait...Blood? Fresh blood...


    Ezekiel realized as the strange warm burn settled on his tongue, but just he forced himself to focus as he realized what the fresh blood could mean for the stranger.


    His guts....it was like he had to push them back in....I used stitches....


    Glen''s words echoed in his head as he shook the scent off.


    Damn....The stitches must be damaged.... I''ve got to get him back into the bed!


    Ezekiel hissed urgently as he lessened his hold on the mortal''s throat partially and leaned back slightly. "Shit....I overdid it. Are you okay?" Ezekiel tried to ask the stranger, but the mortal never let him finish


    "Get the fuck away from me!" With a bit back moan, the man opened his gossamer eyes, glaring at him, and faster than Ezekiel could guess his intention, he slipped forward and slammed his forehead dead into Ezekiel''s right eye. With an enraged hiss, Ezekiel felt the pain bounce around his eye socket and straight into his brain before his hand slipped, and suddenly the mortal was on him.

 Chapter 28 - Butting Heads

    Chapter 28 ¨C Butting Heads


    The stranger grabbed him, and Ezekiel couldn¡¯t understand or entirely deny the sharp arc of electric awareness that caressed him all over his skin as the man wrestled with him.


    His deceptively powerful, wiery legs wrapped around Ezekiel¡¯s hips, while his other hand snatched at Ezekiel¡¯s hair, tugging at his scalp. Ezekiel sensed the strike that was coming next.


    The mortal was going to stab the needle into his chest. Speed and skill brought his palm up into its path. He crushed the mortal¡¯s hand into his own, shifting the syringe and at just the right angle to keep it from shattering.


    The mortal gasped, his green eyes widening in fear as Ezekiel nearly crushed his hand. Ezekiel could have snapped his wrist or used his strength to force the syringe to burst in his hand and cut his palm open to teach him a lesson...


    But Ezekiel could still see that the mortal was not in any shape to take more damage. He saw the cut at his temple and felt the heat on the mortal¡¯s skin, and just faintly beneath his overpowering scent was the smell of rot still coming from the wound in his side...


    So Ezekiel used his fingertips to apply pressure to the mortals¡¯ wrist and tendons instead.


    The soft sound of glass shattering as it hit the ground came to him as the mortal gasped in pain and released the needle. But Ezekiel ignored it. He regained his balance, shook off the mortal¡¯s hand, and pushed him soundly into the wall again.


    The mortal tried to scream, but Ezekiel slammed his forearm into the mortal¡¯s throat and locked it there. With a soft gag, the mortal¡¯s head and back slammed into the wall. While his legs remained wrapped around Ezekiel¡¯s hips.


    Ezekiel used his body to press him into the wall and hold him against it with his own hips and weight.


    ¡°Fuck...let...go!¡± The mortal panted, and suddenly, he was clawing at Ezekiel¡¯s arm. "Fuck....fuking..."


    Ezekiel ignored the sharp bite of nails on his skin as he used his other hand to capture his hands, and finally, he pushed his arm behind the mortal¡¯s ribs. Completely immobilizing him. The mortal pushed and struggled against him, but soon, Ezekiel had his arms shackled behind his back and used the wall to hold him in place. The mortal grunted in pain as the pressure hit him in his shoulders and undoubtedly in his stomach, but instead of calming down he went into a pnaic and tried to maneuver his chin downward so that he could take a bite out of Ezekiel arm that he had over his throat, pushing him into the wall.


    Ezekiel hissed and leaned into his arm, pressing on his throat more. The mortal wheezed, choking, untamable. ¡°Stop! Stop right there! I¡¯ll be damned if I let you sink those vicious things into my arm again.¡± Ezekiel told him.


    ¡°Let go of me you asshole!¡± The mortal panted, his eyes staring down as Ezekiel forced his chin up was with his forearm. Angry gossamer green eyes glared down at him.


    ¡°No.¡± Ezekiel told him...still talking softly as he cast the door a look to see if anyone was coming in. So far Ezekiel could see that ....no one was messing with the door, but he knew that he had to get the mortal calm before his family came bargaining things got blown totally out of proportion. Ezekiel leaned in slightly, still speaking in a whisper he talked up to the man. ¡°Hey, please calm down. I¡¯m sorry about this, but I had to stop you before you hurt someone... I¡¯ll put you down now if you can be calmer.¡±


    Rather than calming down, the mortal bucked again. ¡°Why the hell are you whispering!?¡± The mortal tried to shout around the arm pressed to his windpipe, but he only got out a short, harsh wheeze.


    ¡°I¡¯m whispering because there are some people out there in the hallway who don¡¯t need to know about you attacking me again!¡± Ezekiel said softly and pointed with his chin at the small pile of glass next to his feet where the needle had shattered in the carpet.


    The mortal didn¡¯t look where he indicated; instead, he wiggled against Ezekiel¡¯s hips, trying to push him backward but only pushing their bodies closer. ¡°Get off of me...¡± He moaned. ¡°Why do you keep trying to stop me from running!?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not forget your part in all this; you¡¯re the one that keeps running when you see me....and it¡¯s kinda in my nature to chase.¡±


    Ezekiel said to the mortal. ¡°Now be quiet before you cause a big scene!¡± Ezekiel said as softly as he could... then feeling a shiver as the stranger pushed against him with his hips, he hissed at him. ¡°And you¡¯re the one holding on to me now...so YOU let me go, stranger!¡±


    ¡°No....you let my neck go first!¡± The mortal shot back. The fever on his skin bled through the contact points between them into Ezekiels body as their freams leaned against each other.


    Ezekiels tried to ignore the picture that suddenly popped into his head of two spoiled children fighting over something. But more than anything else, the mortal¡¯s scent wanted to take him over again. And the feel of the mortal¡¯s body laid against him and wrapped around Ezekiels hips....didn¡¯t help him turn the strange smell aside either. He felt his lower half stirring to life and stiffening. A slight shudder of awareness kissed his gut. He tried to focus on the stranger¡¯s eyes instead of his body heat, and in their green depths, he could see the violence simmering beneath the surface.


    ¡°Why would I let you down?¡± He hissed at him. ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me! You¡¯re just going to attack me again !¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am! What gave it away!?¡± The mortal bit off, still trying to pull away from him.


    Ezekiel snarled, surprised by the mortal¡¯s reckless tongue. Then Ezekiel hid a hiss of frustration, feeling the mortal¡¯s legs tighten around his hips tighter and not entirely disliking the sensation. ¡°Well, if you think you¡¯ll get another shot at me, you¡¯re insane. So we¡¯ll just be stuck like this unless you let me go and quietly get back into the bed!¡± He told the mortal.


    ¡°God....I need another needle, or a knife...or a gun. ¡± The mortal groaned and put his head back on the wall with a small thump, but for the most part, he didn¡¯t release his hold.


    ¡°So...I guess we¡¯re at a stalemate?¡± Ezekiel chuckled softly and pulled his arm back slightly so the mortal sank onto his hips a little heavier, and Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t have to strain to look at him directly. The position of their bodies against the wall was awkward and far too close for two people who barely knew each other. With Ezekiel locked between the mortal¡¯s thighs and his arm on the mortal¡¯s neck, their chests and hips brushed as each of them shifted or took a breath, and as their eyes connected, Ezekiel sighed.


    ¡°How does it keep coming to this Stranger? We have seriously got to stop meeting like this. As first impressions go...I¡¯ve actually had much better, you know? I¡¯m not a bad guy...¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t care.¡± The mortal mused, a sarcastic tilt to his words as he glared up at the ceiling and refused to look at Ezekiel or let him go. ¡°Just release me...¡±


    ¡°All though maybe I¡¯ve had worse first impressions....you are the first one that has tried to kill me, stab me...bite me. ¡± Ezekiel shrugged, ignoring his rudeness. ¡± And trust me, I know you¡¯re a little bit scared right now...but no one¡¯s trying to bring harm against you, so if you could just comply with me....¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t  to melie! That big man said he was going to kill me, he sent you to do it!¡± The mortal grunted, trying to push against Ezekiel again, but he soon found that he couldn¡¯t make Ezekiel step back no matter how he arched his back or squirmed, he was doing a twine and a push that almost made the Shifter curse because it forced him to roll his body to mainting his hold on the man. The soft undulation of the mortals body against Ezekiels was almost shockingly arousing, and the Guardian fought his body¡¯s reaction to the man. He fought it hard.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Fuck I must be more pent up then I knew...


    He internally admonished the Shifter was more than confused by the wicked sensations he had to push away....he was not one to be so easily tempted. The dance of the mans body against his own just made him deeply aware that he  normally had more control.


    And most of all, He knew getting a hard-on at that moment would have been an unspeakable disaster.


    ¡°Ah... you mean Mantilo?¡± Ezekiel gritted his teeth, then he pushed him flat against the wall again, holding him down more heavily to make him be still as Ezekiel shook his head and focused.


    " Well, I¡¯m told that you upset him with rude remarks. He was angry and spoke out of turn, but I can assure you Mantilo won¡¯t hurt you. I think we can all resolve this...¡±


    ¡°No! He was serious!¡± The mortal panted, cutting him off. That asshole named Mantilo came in here and told me to leave...but I fell asleep, and now it¡¯s a new day, and he sent you to kill me.¡± The mortal said with a frantic pace to his words...that nearly left Ezekiel behind. ¡°So excuse me for trying to protect myself, but that Shifter with the yellow eyes brought the topic of killing into this situation first.¡±


    ¡°Again, his name is Mantilo, and he¡¯s my father, but he is also a very benevolent man! You provoked him. I can assure you he didn¡¯t mean to lose his temper!¡± Ezekiel explained to him....hoping to get him talking more..


    ¡°That makes no sense! I provoked him by not telling him my name!? Screw you and screw him...¡± The mortal grunted at him again, his expression of inquiry at odds with the shifting and moving the mortal was doing against Ezekiel and the wall behind him as he tried to pry his arm out of Ezekiel¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°....Oh!¡± The mortal cried a moment later as he relaxed briefly, gasping for air. Perhaps realizing that he couldn¡¯t break away from Ezekiel¡¯s grip, he glared. ¡°I get it now...You¡¯re the one that he accused me of trying to kill! I stabbed you or something?¡± he panted slightly.


    ¡°Yes. You did some damage with a blade you were carrying, and now you¡¯ve attached me twice in the last seventy-two hours....¡± Ezekiel tried not to hiss and sighed instead as he looked at the mortal directly. ¡°But.....¡± he began. ¡°Since we¡¯re all adults here. You could let me go, and then we could have a nice calm conversation instead of fighting like this.¡±


    ¡°Can we?¡± The mortal said back, his incredible green eyes turning slightly cloudy. ¡°Mr. Teeth and yellow eyes seems to want me dead. I cant trust you people.¡±


    ¡°Well, can you blame him?¡± Ezekiels muttered more to himself then to the mortal, but he still spoke loud enough so the mortal could hear him. ¡°You seem to have a bad habit of hitting first and asking questions later.¡± Ezekiel hissed at him.


    ¡°I like hitting first....it feels good. Its fun.¡± The mortal stated with a cold shadow in his eyes that made Ezekiel pay attention suddenly. ¡± Besides, it¡¯s better than hitting last and regretting it, I say.¡±


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    Ezekiel felt that only someone with true combat history would utter a sentence so....heavily. So seriously. Someone who was used to exchanging blows and had taught themselves to be as quick on the draw as possible. Ezekiel had witnessed the stranger¡¯s aggression and speed already. And somewhere in there, he had identified the skill that may have existed if the man wasn¡¯t a sickly bunch of stitches and fever dreams, but he wondered what made the stranger so wild and reactionary.


    Who the hell is this guy?


    Ezekiel thought to himself even as he opened his mouth and sneered at the man bound against him and the wall.


    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you just a little black hole of aggression? What are you gonna do...just keep throwing punches until you get your way?¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± The mortal shrugged or tried to but only managed to lift one shoulder.


    ¡°WELL, for one, it¡¯s pissing off everyone you meet! You¡¯re being rude too!¡± Ezekiel pointed out with a hiss.


    ¡°Oh, that sounded like a personal evaluation of me...Do I detect a note of anger or maybe embarrassment in your voice?¡± The mortal said in a sickly sweet voice that made Ezekiel hiss up at him in annoyance.


    ¡°Anger, I get...¡± He said, confused by the mortal¡¯s choice of words. ¡°But why would I be embarrassed here?¡±


    ¡°Because I totally owned you twice now! I beat your ass up and down that hallway, Shifter. So come on, lets do this...¡± The Mortal laughed at him softly. Goading him. ¡°I can win again. Perhaps you¡¯re feeling a little sore over that? Big dominant guy like you can¡¯t keep up with me? How sad for you!¡±


    ¡°OH! Is that right? Well, let¡¯s see you try it again now? I dare you...¡± Ezekiel challenged back, leaning in so close that he nearly brushed the man¡¯s lips. His breath caught at Ezekiel¡¯s proximity, and the fire in his gaze flashed with challenge and something like amusement. His scent was intoxicating, and his eyes beguiling and profound. This guy was playing all sorts of games with his self-control at that moment. Never before had Ezekiel been so tempted to take the kiss of another. To let his dominance and aggression free, to push on the man and make him submit.


    ¡°Your quiet? Dont back down now? I dare you to keep pushing me...Your playing with fire....but you¡¯re pretty hopeless in your current position.¡± Ezekiel said, glaring in his eyes and hissing as he let his fangs flash openly before pulling the stranger¡¯s arm and shifting it upward slightly behind his back to drive home his point. The mortal gasped in pain and arched against him as Ezekiel put pressure on his shoulder blade, then released it a moment later.


    ¡°I could have shattered your arm by now,¡± Ezekiel said sharply. ¡°But..... let¡¯s say by some miracle you manage to beat me? I guarantee you that you won¡¯t get out of this room alive. They would probably rip you apart in the hallway.¡± He finished using his eyes to indicate the door.


    As if to punctuate his words, Lander snarled and kicked the door. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on in there!¡± he growled. ¡°What¡¯s taking so damn long?¡±


    The mortal looked at the door, and his hands tightened in Ezekiel¡¯s as he probably realized that more people were outside the door than just Ezekiel¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re ganging up on me? What¡¯s the matter, little man? You can¡¯t handle me yourself.¡± The mortal bit off meanly.


    Ezekiel laughed, he couldent help it, and used his hand to tilt the mortal¡¯s face to the side. The man whimpered from the hash act, then the mortal tried to snap at his fingers, but Ezekiel didn¡¯t let him. ¡°Oh please, Mortal. If you could beat me, you would have done it by now. You¡¯re all talk at this point, and we both know it!¡±


    The mortal glared at him, green eyes clear and sharp as the challenge seemed to hit a nerve. ¡°Let me go, and I bet I¡¯ll have you on the ground again in no time.¡±


    ¡°You know....? For someone that¡¯s so weak, you sure do talk a lot of shit, but all you¡¯re doing is hurting yourself.¡± Ezekiel hissed and slowly pulled his arm across the mortal¡¯s throat until his hand was wrapped beneath his chin.


    ¡°Listen to me carefully now. I don¡¯t want to hurt you, and in your state, you¡¯re hardly a threat to anyone. I could have broken you apart with my fingertips if I wanted to.....¡± He felt a wild sense of beastly satisfaction as he suddenly snarled, snatched Brandon up against him, and carted him across the room. Once he reached the bed, he unceremoniously threw him down into it. ¡°Now sit down and shut up before I tie you to that bed. You¡¯re supposed to be sick! No more attacking the first thing you see, got it!?¡±


    ¡°I am sick!¡± The mortal coughed, putting a hand to his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sick of you people telling me what to do and manhandling me! Ever since I woke up your ugly face is all I see!¡± The stranger mortal snapped at him as he struggled to sit up on the mattress, kicking pillows off the bed as he did so. ¡°Hey, are you listening to me, you blue-eyed bastard!! I¡¯m gonna RIP your head off!¡±


    He¡¯s so angry, like a little vowle biting at my heels...Dare I say it¡¯s kinda cute and homocidal?


    Ezekiel internally thought, watching the man rail at him in a fashion that should have been threatening but simply came off...as entertaining?


    ¡°Please...try it, stand up and ill put you back down.¡± Ezekiel snarled back, his smirk thick with the cut of his front fangs and his heart dancing with a small thrill.


    The Stranger tried to stand up suddenly....but a wave of green washed over his features and he was brought back down on the bed with an agonized cry. The mortal put a shaky hand over his side, and instantly, thick red blood bled through the material of his shirt. He nearly slapped Ezekiel in the face with the smell of it.


    ¡°I think....¡± The mortal panted, pressing a hand into the bloody cloth and scrunching his eyes in pain. ¡°Shit....I think I¡¯m about to pass out.¡± The mortal said as he looked up at Ezekiel from the bed; his enchanting green eyes glazed slightly, but he froze the moment he looked at Ezekiel.


    And Ezekiel knew why. He knew what he saw in Ezekiel¡¯s gaze....eyes more like slits than circles....a predator¡¯s eyes locked on the blood smearing the mortal¡¯s hands. And try as Ezekiel might, he couldn¡¯t make the beast flowing into his gums and eyes go away, so he turned away from the blood. Dangerous. Foolish. He let his control slip and knew he had to pull away quickly. His inner beast roared in anger when he moved away. He tuned out its wild desire for the man.


    ¡°Jesus, I¡¯ve got to get a hold of myself. It¡¯s unnatural! I don¡¯t fucking crave blood!¡± Ezekiel said softly, ignoring the beast inside that was starting to urge him to go to the bed and taste the red blossoming on the mortal¡¯s clothing. Run his fangs and tongue over his skin...Taste him...all of him.


    Swallowing dryly instead, he walked briskly over to the door and opened it.

 Chapter 29 - Willingness

    Chapter 29- Willingness


    Brandon kept his mouth tightly clenched and his body still as he watched the Shifter turn away from him and throw the door open to the hallway.


    ¡°Mom....he¡¯s gone and popped his side open again!¡± The Blue-eyed Shifter barked as he stepped back to allow the people in the hall into the room.


    ¡°What....!¡± Gasped the small female Shifter from before. The woman slipped past the Blue-eyed Shifter and up to the side of the bed. When her round eyes locked onto the blood that was drenching his shirt, she made a slight hiss in her chest and put her hands on her tiny hips.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± she huffed at Brandon, her expression one of disappointment, but Brandon was still too stunned to answer her. Both by the pain growing in his hips and gut...and by the way the Shifter had reacted a moment ago.


    What a dangerous look he gave me.


    Brandon thought, looking at the Blue-eyed Shifter back. The sharp teeth and beastly eyes from a moment ago felt burned into his mind. Brandon felt a shiver go down his spine and his belly flutter.


    He looked like he was about to jump across the room and eat me.


    With his dirty blond locks brushing his neck and his shoulder bunched as he held the door open, nothing about his profile revealed any of the tension that had been all through his body when he had pinned Brandon to the wall. Or the aggression on his face after he had sat Brandon in the bed.


    Even though Brandon couldn¡¯t see his face, he felt he was wearing a calm smile as he let his family into the room, standing by the bedroom door and talking to the three tall men following the female into the room.


    Brandon only had a few seconds to look at them all and analyze them before the pain began to fog his mind too badly for him to care anymore about picking apart his newest visitors.


    Brandon quickly realized that all of the men that had come into the room were slightly familiar to him.


    It took him a long, slow moment to place them, but Brandon rolled his eyes when it clicked.


    Oh, goody...


    Brandon thought to himself, swallowing hard as a soft wave of vomit tried to rise up his throat.


    These are the jack-offs that were with Mantilo and the little lady from the other day. So I was right. These are the blue-eyed Shifters¡¯ family members? Mother...and brothers...but I don¡¯t see his father this time.....


    Brandon looked at each of the males that entered and couldn¡¯t pinpoint much of a resemblance between them all. If they were alike in any way that Brandon could discern, it was in their combined good looks, eye-catching physique, and size. And the eyes. None of their gazes struck Brandon as sharply as the blue eyes did, but each of the Shifters that came into that room.....he could see lights in their eyes...something living with them in their souls. Brandon couldn¡¯t quite guess what that was or why it felt dangerous to him yet.


    The green-eyed and golden-haired Shifter that Brandon had flipped off before was the first one to enter the room behind the female. He took one cold look at Brandon....sneered, and flashed a mouth full of sharp canines as he not so subtly returned Brandon¡¯s middle finger to him. Then proceeded to stand as far away from the bed as possible while still standing in the room.


    The following two male Shifters to enter both cast him confident nods and went to stand at the foot of the bed. One Shifter had the same black and white eyes and piercings that Brandon remembered, while the other Shifter was a wall of muscle only slightly less intimidating than Mantilo, with brown eyes that were tinged a slight yellow.


    The small woman standing with her hands on her hips shook her head and tried to grab him. That instantly shocked Brandon back to the moment and away from the large men that had walked in.


    ¡°Hey Hey...Who are you, people! What are you trying to do now?¡± Brandon groaned, throwing the small woman¡¯s hands off of his as she gently tried to pull his hands away from his bloody shirt.


    ¡°We can talk about that later...¡± The blue-eyed Shifter growled at him, suddenly turning from the doorway....and his eyes were no longer filled with the strange light that had taken Brandon¡¯s breath away and made him feel like a deer in a lion¡¯s cage. But when he looked at Brandon, he only let his eyes linger for a moment before he looked away again. ¡°Well, deal with introductions when you¡¯re not bleeding all over the sheets, stranger.¡± He said as he walked forward.


    The blue-eyed Shifter spoke and stood next to his mother. ¡°For now, well, just focus on that leak in your hip...¡± He said to the female as he stopped beside her. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a pretty consistent flow of blood. You may have to re-stitch him up.¡±


    Glen, as Brandon remembered her being called, walked over to the four Shifters and spoke directly to the blue-eyed one. ¡°Oh, That¡¯s a lot of blood. Tsk, I won¡¯t be able to pinpoint it with it smeared everywhere. It¡¯s probably drenched his hips now, too....it will take too long to wash the blood off like this with a rag.¡±


    ¡°¡°Fine....just dunk him in the shower then.¡± The male with different colored eyes said to her with a shrug.


    Brandon watched Glen bite her small pink bottom lip. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good idea, but I can¡¯t lift and clean him alone. Why don¡¯t one of you boys take him to the bathroom and spray him down for me? ¡°She said, turning soft eyes on all of the men.


    ¡°NO....¡± Brandon said softly, holding his hip tighter as the idea of getting touched by more people made him hurt deep in his heart. He also distantly disliked the idea of getting naked in front of any of the strangers....but the main driving force behind his denial was his sexual orientation.


    ¡°But...¡± Glen protested, slightly stern in her tone. ¡°I need to get at the wounds soon or your only going to get weaker and sicker form blood loss.¡± She tried to reason with him.


    Oh god....is that even possible? How can I feel any weaker than I already do?


    Brandon asked himself. And it was the idea of being weak and sick for even longer that made him give in.


    ¡°O...k, but can you take me to the shower?¡± Brandon said to the green-eyed woman, but with a hiss, the blue-eyed Shifter shook his head in denial.


    ¡°She can¡¯t lift you like one of us could, and you need to let us help you.¡± He stated sharply, his eyes never straying to look at the blood or anywhere but Brandon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel terrible? He asked softly. ¡°The sooner we get this done. You¡¯ll be patched up...¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.....¡± Brandon said, cutting him off. ¡°I want the blood to stop, but I don¡¯t wanna shower with any of you strange men!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Glen asked him with a small questioning tilt of her head. Which made her curls shift to the side with her.


    ¡°I just...I would prefer it if a woman helped me wash off.¡± Brandon hedged rather than speak further, but the blond-haired Shifter laughed at him from across the room with angry eyes as he pushed off the wall and walked up to the bed.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°You would prefer if a woman helped you?¡± He sneered. His statement is not a question but more of a challenge. Even so, Brandon responded to it.


    ¡°What?¡± he tried to breathe shallowly to keep the pain in his stomach from spreading with each inhale. ¡°Is there something wrong with what I said?¡±


    ¡°Yes... You said you want a woman to wash you? ¡°He rehashed Brandon¡¯s words. ¡°Well, of course you would want that,¡± He sneered. It seemed to Brandon that his face, though handsome, was permanently either stuck in a cold sneer or a nasty expression of some kind. ¡°What man doesn¡¯t want a pretty woman to jump into the shower with him? But I think you forgot that that is our mother, you little shit! We¡¯re not gonna let her go into the bathroom with some naked mortal.¡±


    Brandon struggled to explain for a second. Then he just gave up. ¡°Fuck it....¡± He sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair, then he explained. ¡°I¡¯m not attracted to women, you dumbass.¡±


    As one, all of the Shifter¡¯s eyebrows in the room went up, then came down as they exchanged looks.


    ¡°Ah....¡± Glen said softly. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine...you didn¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t wanna be rude, but I don¡¯t think it would be appropriate...So maybe I should receive help from you and not your sons.¡±


    ¡°We get it.¡± The blue-eyed Shifter growled, looking at his family and then at Brandon.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not gonna kill me for asking your mom to help me wash..?¡± Brandon said as he grunted and squeezed his stomach. The Shifter let him recover before he shrugged and responded.


    ¡°No,¡± he said to Brandon. ¡°If you swing a certain way, I understand how uncomfortable showering with random men might be.¡± He told Brandon.


    Confused by that little bit of sympathetic insight, he motioned at the Shifter.


    ¡°You do?¡± Brandon asked him. ¡°Uh, most men don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Good thing he plays for the other team, too, huh?¡± The black and white-eyed Shifter teased, elbowing his slightly younger-looking brother playfully. The blue-eyed Shifter just hissed at him and rolled his eyes.


    Brandon looked at the blue-eyed Shifter with a small scoff. He was slightly surprised by this admission and partially not. The man was gorgeous. Not just his eyes. His face, his smile, and the way he moved. The man oozed something like aggression and magnetism. Brandon found it hard not to find him pleasant to look at. He was more THERE than anyone else in the room to Brandon, and he didn¡¯t know why. He certainly didn¡¯t like it, but there it was. A sculpted package of muscle and looks that seemed like he had been fed beef with aside of testosterone since he was a kid. And the women would be jumping for his attention.


    Why am I surprised...but its not like it should even matter to me right?


    Brandon had to ask himself...but there was something in the Shifters gaze that made him feel things. There was an interest in Brandon that was just a little more keen then most men¡¯s would be, an allure in his eyes, huskiness to his tone when he spoke...and the flutters that caressed Brandon¡¯s skin when the man put his hands on his body.


    ¡°Oh....ewww.¡± The green-eyed Shifter said childishly...but the mean glint in his eyes wasn¡¯t childish to Brandon in the least. He looked at his mother and rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Ewww....¡± Brandon said, mimicking the noise he had made. ¡°What the hell does that mean!?¡± Brandon said, frowning deeply and shooting him a glare.


    The blond-haired Shifter didn¡¯t like his tone because he took an aggressive step forward and hissed.


    ¡°What the fuck do you think it means you little....!¡± The Shifter began to shout.


    ¡°Stop it and Shut up, Lander!¡± The blue-eyed Shifter growled and then looked back at Brandon. ¡°Ignore him.¡±


    He said to Brandon quickly as he shot his brother a quelling look that, for all Brandon could see, just made the green-eyed brother angry, but for the moment, he was silent.


    ¡°So...you aren¡¯t attracted to woman at all?¡± The most enormous brother in the group suddenly asked him. It was the first word that the large man had spoken since he had walked into the room. He had a deep, calm voice.....it was nearly emotionless. It was such a strange sound on his ears that he shot the large Shifter a curious up and down look before he responded


    ¡°I told you.¡± Brandon said, looking at the large man in his slightly yellow eyes and seeing nothing there but a sharp emptiness and strength. ¡°I play for the other team alright. Nothing about this woman is of any interest to me. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Glen huffed and puffed. And suddenly, she flipped her curls behind her left shoulder with her hand in a feminine display of disgust. ¡°Well, how insulting of you. I¡¯m deeply wounded. So what am I ugly to you!?¡± She hissed, looking at her sons.


    ¡°Oh Oh gosh I didn¡¯t mean to be an ass.¡± Brandon told her. ¡°Your very beautiful Mrs. Glen....I just mean that to me, you aren¡¯t attractive...¡±


    ¡°Huuuh! Excuse me!?¡± Glen began mouth agape, she stamped her foot and looked positively miffed.


    Brandon slammed two hands into his face and released a scream of frustration. ¡°Oh god! I didn¡¯t mean for it to sound that way!¡±


    In the few seconds of awkward silence that followed, Brandon did his best not to try and put another three feet into his mouth. When suddenly a soft giggle began to float on the air. When Brandon looked at her Glen was smiling back.


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± she said with a sweet little hop in place. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had to get back at you a little for being so rude to my husband the other night.¡±


    ¡°Oh....ok I guess.¡± Brandon said, because there was really nothing else for him to say. Glen simply smiled back.


    Lander suddenly threw his hands into the air. ¡°SO were decided then? Well, that¡¯s just freaking great. The mortal gets a bath, and the rest of us have to suffer because there¡¯s another one running around our house.¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡± Brandon said, not really understanding the Shifter¡¯s point until he looked at the blue-eyed Shifter. ¡°OH.....You mean another gay man?¡±


    The green-eyed Shifter stuck his tongue out like he had tasted something nasty, then shook his head. ¡°Ewww!¡± He exclaimed with a dramatic shutter. ¡°Don¡¯t say it so casually...It makes my freaking skin crawl when you people come around me!¡± he said with a cold glare.


    ¡°Come on...just let it go for once!¡± The two-toned brother hissed at him, trying to calm the growing tension, but the green-eyed Shifter didn¡¯t even glance at him.


    Brandon scrunched his face up in confusion and utter awe that someone would be so rude and be that way in his own siblings¡¯ face. But the blue eyes Shifter simply rolled his eyes to the heaven and let his bother continue. Brandon would not.


    ¡°Seriously, are you just being an asshole to be funny? Or is that how you really feel?¡°¡± He asked the Shifter angrily.


    ¡°Of course, this is how I really feel. ¡± The green-eyed Shifter shrugged, his eyes sparkling with disdain that he directed at Ezekiel and then at Brandon. ¡°First Ezekiel and now you. That¡¯s two more gays than I ever needed to know. Fucking homos are invading the world.¡±


    Brandon shook his head as the Shifter¡¯s completely disgusting attitude took root, even though he wanted to ignore him. He couldn¡¯t fight the flare of anger that he had ignited.


    ¡°What the hell did you just say to me..!? I will beat you...¡±


    Brandon began, his fists tightening in his shirt, but as a wave of nausea hit him in the chest, he could only bite the inside of his cheek and bend forward to hold back the roll of sickness. The Shifter laughed at him.


    ¡°Stupid fags...¡± He sighed, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later; I¡¯ve got a date with a moose carcass from the Dorman¡¯s House that has to be skinned before Dad gets home in the morning. Let me know how things go.¡±


    And with a wave, the blond-haired irritant was gone from Brandon¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Ass hole!¡± Brandon spit in an angry whisper to himself as he tried not to throw up on the mattress.


    ¡°Seriously Mortal...Just ignore him....¡± Said the Shifter with piercings in his face, a soft smirk on his handsome face. And as much as he wanted to, Brandon didn¡¯t even have the energy to growl back at him.


    At this point, Glen stepped up to the bed and bent down beside him. Placing a warm hand on his forehead, she tilted his head back. ¡° Not good. Your temps gone up fast....!¡± She began in surprise and used her other hand to smooth back his scalp and look him directly into his eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re not delirious.....¡± She sighed and released him gently. ¡°Can you manage the pain for a few minutes more?¡±


    Brandon wanted to say no, but he bit back, held his hip harder, and nodded quietly.


    ¡°Ok.¡± She said, standing back onto her feet and going to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy. I need to grab the medical supplies downstairs and change clothes...Three minutes tops.¡± She said and slipped out of the door with a small sashay.


    ¡°Come on. We can¡¯t be late for patrol, ¡° he said. ¡°Dad will be back from his business in the morning.¡± The large and mostly expressionless Shifter said as he turned and walked out of the room, without another word. Followed by the Shifter with two-toned eyes, who smiled at Brandon softly and walked out. Leaving Ezekiel, who nodded at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come and talk with you later....¡± The blue-eyed Shifter said as he began to follow the rest of his family, but before he exited the room completely, he stopped, snapped his fingers, walked across the room to the bathroom, and disappeared inside for a minute or two. When he came out, his bright blue eyes had a smug light in them.


    He hefted the small waste bucket that held the rest of the discarded needles and bandages from the surgery that his mother seemed to have done on him. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking this with me. So just stay in the bed until my mom comes and gets you and try not to move too much.¡± He said as he walked out of the room with the trash can and closed the door behind himself.


    Only a few minutes after he left, Glen returned with a gorgeous smile on her small face and began to help him out of his bloody clothing. Brandon realized then that he was absolutely disgusted with himself. Because he sat there and waited as the Shifter had asked him.


    Bossy UGLY Blue Eyed bastard!


    Brandon grumbled to himself.


    But even to himself, he couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that knowing that the Shifter wasn¡¯t straight made him feel a little bit better. It made him secretly want to smile. It made something in his stomach churn like butterflies.

 Chapter 30 - Rotted Wounds

    Chapter 30 ¨C Rotted Wounds


    The water was soothing to his skin, and Glen proved to be every bit the caring Healer that her sons professed her to be. She stood in the bathroom with him in a shower that was just a little unconventional. The shower was half the size of the bathroom.


    Tile covered the walls and floor, and a pole built into the roof allowed an off-white shower curtain to slide around the area. Blocking Brandon and Glen in as a two-headed nozzle shot water down, standing beside him. A slightly tilted floor allowed most of the water to rush down a significant drain in the middle of the floor. Glen soaped up his legs and back since he didn¡¯t have the strength or the mobility to reach them. She allowed him to take care of everything else for modesty''s sake, softly instructing him not to get soap or water on his bandaged side while he washed.


    Then she poured water down his back and chest to remove the suds.


    She was so gentle and professional about it all. And Brandon was so tired from the small exercise that he found it hard to feel too embarrassed by it all. She rinsed him twice, and finally, when she reached out and turned the nob on the shower off, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He had to know.


    ¡°Why.¡± He said to her, his voice bouncing all around the porcelain shower as the droplets from the shower head and his body slapped into the floor below. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you asked me about this?¡± he asked her. Using his hands, he motioned to his entire body. ¡°From the moment you undressed me....you just ignored it.¡±


    Glen surprised him by letting out a small laugh. ¡°Sweetheart, if I asked you any questions, would you actually even answer them?¡± she said to him.


    Brandon didn¡¯t even have to think about it. ¡°No,¡± he told her truthfully, which was ironic, he knew.


    Glen smiled at him sadly and silently wrapped a fresh towel around his hips, covering his nakedness. Slowly, she took his arm and bicep and guided him out of the bathroom. And even though he tried to hold his own weight up, he was pathetically weak compared to her. Her petite body had more strength than he could have believed possible. Enough to support him all the way to the bed in the room beyond without breaking a single sweat or stumbling. As she sat him on the bed, she shrugged.


    ¡°I won¡¯t pry. I¡¯m not a busybody or a worry wart Guardian like my husband or sons.¡± Glen told him as she walked away from him and pulled open a door Brandon hadn¡¯t noticed was in the room. As she pulled it open, Brandon got a glimpse of fresh white lines and towels crammed along the three shelves inside of the pantry she had uncovered.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Guardian?¡± Brandon felt himself compelled to ask. He wanted to compile as much information as he could. He understood so little about everything. All he had was the information that he had gleaned from books....he had a chance here to learn more about these Shifters.


    Glen nodded. ¡°Guardians are like the law in this Territory. They protect the village, lend their strength to gathering materials, and settle disputes among the Clans'' men. Mostly, they patrol our borders and keep the Clan running smoothly in any way that they can. It is an ancient custom in our Clan and in some other Shifter Clans. My Husband sends them out, and they spend a lot of time trying to fix problems and prevent crimes in the area, so they are all overzealous about...everything.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why your husband hates me? Is me being here a problem that needs fixing?¡± Brandon asked her even though he already sort of knew the answer.


    ¡°Yes and no. Glen told him softly, returning from the closet with a fresh pair of clothes for him. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s not my job to go around solving problems all day. ¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Brandon said as he watched her sit the garments beside him on the bed. A fresh white shirt that stretched down past his elbows, thick grey sweat pants, and no underwear.


    Well, what did I expect? It¡¯s not like I would want to borrow any of her son¡¯s stuff. Hell, I don¡¯t want to borrow their clothes.


    Brandon thought to himself.


    But Brandon also didn¡¯t want to run around naked, so he didn¡¯t make a fuss as she started putting a shirt over his damp head.


    I hate being touched!


    Brandon growled to himself.


    But he had to admit that this was a necessary evil. He had to have her help, or he would only make his injuries worse. And beyond even that. Glen was so gentle with her hands and words that he didn¡¯t notice it too much. She also refrained from touching him for too long, almost as though she could sense how much he disliked the contact, even though he tried not to show it.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She worked slowly and methodically in order to not disturb his wound, and soon, the clothing was cascading over his body, hiding it from her and everyone else that he didn¡¯t want to see it.


    As she let him recover from the exhaustion creeping up, she continued talking.


    ¡°But my son will be back to speak with you.¡± She said suddenly as she took up the sweats and bent down on her knees. She slipped in one of Brandon''s legs at a time. Then she looked up at him. And once again, he realized how small but beautiful she was. ¡°And I have a feeling that he won¡¯t be as respectful of your privacy as I am. He can¡¯t help it. He is curious about you. And curiosity always was his Achilles hill.¡±


    Brandon grunted in pain as she pulled him to his feet and pulled the towel from around his hips.


    ¡°But you aren¡¯t gonna ask me anything?¡± he said, slightly confused as he helped her get the pants on. He let her slide the sweat pants up his calves, then took over and painfully maneuvered the pants the rest of the way up onto his hips, covering himself once more. Brandon sensed that she was trying to gather her thoughts so that she could answer him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not gonna ask you anything, but only because you won¡¯t talk to me,¡± Glen said to him as he finished and looked back at her.


    ¡°But you think I¡¯ll talk to him?¡± Brandon sneered at her. He was panting slightly, and she noticed.


    Glen didn¡¯t say anything to that. She sat him back on the bed slowly, and then she took a fresh towel off of the nightstand and stood in front of him, her knees brushing his.


    ¡°I think.....¡°She said, coming to him and putting the towel over his head. And rubbing his scalp softly with the material so that it blocked her from his eyes. ¡°I think that if someone tried to save your life. The least you can do is have a civilized conversation with them. If you¡¯re worried about your body? Don¡¯t be, honey. I haven¡¯t discussed the things I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re....odd.¡± Brandon scoffed beneath the towel, the heavy towel blocking out the world around him so that all he could feel were the fresh stitches in his side, the pain and exhaustion throbbing in his bones....and her tiny hands rubbing his crown.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Glen responded a moment later. ¡°I promise you I am quite normal.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Brandon denied her, not caring if he was being rude. ¡°You¡¯re not normal...Normal people look at me, and they are frightened or disgusted. I¡¯m disgusting to look at, and you¡¯re just acting like you don¡¯t see it.¡± Brandon shrugged beneath the towel. ¡°It¡¯s odd that you¡¯re being so nice.¡±


    ¡°Kindness isn¡¯t odd,¡± Glen said over his head, his voice sharpening slightly. ¡°Who on earth treated you so grotesquely!¡±


    Realizing that this wasn¡¯t a road that he wanted anyone sniffing down, Brandon tried to backpedal suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Lots of people have sort of acted like asses towards me....¡±


    Glen persisted with a hiss. ¡°What pig¡¯s people can be! I swear those types of people should be....!¡±


    ¡°Hey Its ok lady. Those people....¡± He said, cutting her off. Her heightened emotions upset him, so he tried to get her to calm down. ¡°They don¡¯t matter anymore.....¡± He mumbled and squeezed his fists covertly into the sheets as images and smells of the people he didn¡¯t want to remember assaulted him. ¡°They are just people....who are behind me.¡±


    ¡°But where did you get that idea from?¡± Glen started to pry. Suddenly, her continued presence was starting to wear on him. He wanted to shout at her, tell her to go away. This was why he hated them....everyone wanted to know. To see. To understand him. Touch...talk....people.


    What a waste of her time...These Shifters should just leave me alone.


    Brandon thought to himself.


    What terrible bloody mess he could make of it all. In seconds, he could destroy everything these Shifters held dear to them. Kill them.....


    Brandon wanted to laugh as he thought of this...but the sound died in his throat before it could reach his cold lips.


    ¡°Where are these people that are behind you? In a mortal city somewhere?¡± Glen asked him softly.


    Dead......One day....I¡¯ll kill all of them.


    Brandon thought to himself darkly.


    And then....they won¡¯t exist anywhere on this earth...


    But he knew that he couldn¡¯t say that out loud....it would raise too many flags.


    Brandon remained silent to all her questions after that. He couldn¡¯t speak past the ball of emotion trying to choke him to death. Hate. So dark it slithered around his senses. He hated being touched, he hated other people. He hated Shifters, too. He hated....this moment. But he also detested that tiny part of him...that didn¡¯t hate her or her blue-eyed son.


    And suddenly, the towel was pulled up, and he was staring into Glen¡¯s big green eyes.


    ¡°Well, whoever it was...forget about them for now.¡± She told him softly. ¡°You¡¯re not disgusting. You¡¯re my patient. What you look like couldn¡¯t matter less to me than your species or gender.¡±


    Brandon swallowed the hatred down because he knew better than to show it to anyone and directed a glare down at the carpet between his feet. ¡°Are we gonna stop talking about this soon? Besides, your son will be asking me about this, too?¡±


    ¡°Well, as I said earlier.....¡± Glen began her green eyes peering at his hair instead of him. She used her nimble fingers to pat his scalp, and when it came away from his scalp drenched in water, she shook her head and started hefting the towel back over his head softly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t violated your privacy in any way. Trust this truth. So no one else in this house knows what I know, nor have they seen you unclothed. What you choose to talk about with Ezekiel is entirely up to you, but if you would like to discuss who and what did that to you, I¡¯ll be a good listener now.¡± Glen tilted the cloth back over his head, blocking her from his eyes.


    Brandon bit his cheek as the idea of any further contact with anyone at that moment made him cringe. ¡°No. I don¡¯t like talking about this.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± She said softly as she continued to massage away the water in his hair.


    And Brandon stayed silent. Fighting the growing urge to push her hands away from him. he felt like he was suffocating by the end.

 Chapter 31 - Q & A

    Chapter 31- Q & A


    Sometime later found Brandon alone. Clean, exhausted beyond words, a soft throb of pain on every inch of his body, and tucked back into bed.


    A good two hours had passed since the female Shifter, Glen, had left him to rest and to await his second interrogation of the day and third interrogation of the week, and he just wanted to get more rest. And yet, try as he might to fall back asleep, he struggled to drift back into unconsciousness. He tottered on the edge of awake and darkness. His mind felt too heavy, the dreams floating there, and the memories he didn''t want to visit would torture him. He was too weak and worried to fight off his subconscious and too scared to submit to it. So he had forced himself to stay awake, and this is how the Shifter with blue eyes found him.


    Sleepy. Pissed. And in no mood to have a chit-chat. But somehow, the Shifter almost shattered all of that with nothing but his presence.


    A soft knock at the door pulled his tired eyelids up. A moment later, the door cracked open slowly, and a familiar and unfamiliar face appeared. Eyes shining like two lights made of blue florescence caught sight of him and....for what felt like the longest time, but was only a minute, Brandon realized that the Shifter wasn''t hard on the eyes at all.


    The Shifter was tall as all the men in his family seemed to be. Even though he wasn''t a roided out monster of muscle like the Shifter Mantilo, it was easy to see that he was all definition and lean beneath the faded blue jeans, the barely there sleeveless layered t-shirt that he wore over a chest and dented stomach, that Brandon guessed was the same rigid definition as his arms and the same warm vanilla colored tone as the rest of his skin. Dark brown Tim''s on his feet and blond hair, streaked with dark brown locks, combed back from his face in a haphazard way that made Brandon think that he had done it with his fingers.


    But no more than his body...his face set in a natural but expectant expression was just as hard to ignore.


    He coolly looked the Shifter up and down and tried to forget that not hours ago, he had had this stranger''s body locked against him. And even then....he had found the blue-eyed Shifter quite stunning. It was impossible, but the more he saw the Shifter, the more mesmerized and visually stunning he seemed. And Brandon had only been awake for a few hours. His reactions and thoughts embarrassed him, and he refused to let them show.


    The Shifter nodded at him silently and closed the door behind himself.


    Dammit....why am I all anxious?


    Brandon thought to himself as the Shifter came closer to the bed.


    He hated to feel a bunch of nerves in his stomach....but he couldn''t turn it off because he was anxious no matter how hard he tried to fight it. And Brandon hated that. He also hated that he suddenly felt a smidge better for no discernible reason since the Shifter had walked in. But....he did.


    Until the Shifter walked up to the bed and reached out toward Brandon to shake his hand. And that''s when he saw it. A blade. His blade. OR, more specifically, the grip and handle of the blade that he was currently missing.


    Not really thinking about what he was about to do. Brandon went to sit up, and pretending to be weaker than he was, he took the hand offered to him. And ignoring the terrible strain it put on his hip, he surged forward and attempted to wrap his hand around the blade on the Shifters hip.


    Suddenly, he had a hand at his throat like a clamp of steel. It held him as the Shifter pressed a handful of claws to his face and slammed him back into the pillows. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He hissed, his face inches away from Brandon''s were slit and glowing a brighter blue the only seconds before. He glared down, and Brandon tried not to be dominated by the animal he saw there. Something calm, calculating. Something that was analyzing him. Hunting him.


    Brandon wanted to yell at him and fight him off but with the Shifters hand on his throat and the wicked claws inches from his eye...Brandon quickly decided that movement wasn''t the best idea just then. His eyes, his mouth, and even his chin. He was a terribly handsome specimen; there wasn''t an inch of him that Brandon found visually unappealing, from his hair to his size.....it was disconcerting.


    Brandon hardly liked anyone he met. He couldn''t waste time enjoying people when he had to keep on the move all the time. But.....he didn''t even have a negative thought to attach to the Shifter sitting over him that could have possibly snapped his neck with a flick of his hand.


    "Hey!" The Shifter snarled, snapping Brandon back into the moment. The hand around his throat tightened slightly, and the claws below his eye socket grazing his skin made a chill of surprise go down his spine. "Are you listening to me....do you have a fucking death wish or something? Why did you just try to attack me this time?"


    "Fuck you, blue boy, you don''t scare me." Brandon bit out, trying to pull his eyes away from the Shifters and failing. "I want what you took from me. Give me back my blade, you thief!"


    "Give you my knife? Why in god''s name would I ever hand you anything sharp! You just tried to stab me a few hours ago....in the neck...WITH A NEEDLE!"


    With a frustrated sound, the Shifter pressed the claws deeper into his cheek, but Brandon noticed that he was careful not to actually cut him, nor did he squeeze Brandon''s throat so tightly that he couldn''t breathe. He could no longer attack the Shifter, but he wasn''t in any discomfort as the Shifter held his throat. "Now calm down, or I''m gonna get my mother to sedate you."


    "And again, I say "Fuck you!" Brandon rolled his eyes. "That knife belongs to me. You stole my stuff. Now give it back to me!" Brandon tried to demand next, but the Shifter ignored his outrage.


    "This isn''t yours... it''s mine!"


    Brandon tried to push his hand off his neck....but he was too weak. "Liar!" he barked defensively.


    "Ouch! So now I''m a thief and a liar? So unfair." He spit, turning his head and looking at the blade on his hip. "I''m telling the truth. I haven''t stolen from you. This is my knife.....the blade grip I''m wearing just looks similar to the one you had." The Shifter rolled his eyes. "Besides, I would remember the blade that you stuck into my chest cavity after all, and this one isn''t it."


    Brandon tensed in fear as he removed his claws from Brandon''s cheek and reached down and unsheathed the long blade at his hip. Lifting it into the light a few inches, Brandon realized that even though the grip and size were similar, the metal of the Shifters knife was completely different from his currently lost blade.


    "God Damnit! I must have dropped it along with my pack out there in your forest....." Brandon mumbled to himself, relaxing his muscles and ignoring the Shifter entirely for a few moments as he tried to retrace his steps and failed. He stabbed around in his scant memories of the last few days...then gave up...when all he seemed to bring up was empty darkness.


    "Wait...is that it?" The Shifter said, a frown on his face as he pulled back slightly. His blue eyes filled with incredulity. "One moment you''re screaming thief and liar, and the next...nothing?"


    "Yup...." Brandon said, tilting his head as much as the current situation would allow. "...Was I supposed to say something else?"


    The Shifter laughed and looked away... then back at Brandon. He appeared to be lost for words: "Seriously, I just told you that stabbed me in the chest, and you don''t know what to say back to me?"


    "What do you want me to say!?" Brandon tried not to scream as the tedious back and forth and strange looks started to irritate him. He watched the Shifter close his blue eyes and shake his head as though something were hurting his head.


    What does he want from me?


    Brandon thought to himself. He honestly had no idea what more needed to be said just then, so he tried to move on.


    He couldn''t move much, but the Shifters hold had lessened enough that he was able to tilt his head down and looked at the long clear claws pressed into his cheek. He frowned as an important question from before suddenly became very pressing. "So you have claws and glowing eyes, I see? So what kind of Shifters are you people?"


    Suddenly, the Shifter''s blue eyes opened, and he let out a sharp laugh of disbelief. "Your personality is terrible....do you know that?" he began.


    "First, you try to steal my knife, and then you ask me a question?" The Shifter smiled at him, all predatory and tickled, as he pulled his claws away and shook his head. "What kind of Shifter am I? The kind that you don''t wanna get too angry. So... let''s lay some ground rules right now," The Shifter sighed, looking down at his hip where the partially pulled-up blade sat in the sheath at his side.


    Brandon didn''t say anything; he didn''t miss the fact that the Shifter had avoided his question, but he let it go. He wanted to ask him to elaborate further about just what kind of animals his family could shift into...but he got the sense that, like Glen....her son wasn''t going to tell him the answer.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "First rule....no more attacking me! You don''t seem to understand that we don''t mean you any harm." The Shifter said, his blue eyes going soft for a moment. "You don''t have to act so feral and defensive with me." He hissed, sitting back on the bed, giving Brandon some space, even though he still held him by the throat and down on the bed. "I promise I''m not gonna hurt you, but you have to stop trying to hurt me."


    "Whatever..." Brandon said, looking up at him. "I''ll be calm...Now let me go already." Brandon went to push up off the bed slightly and leaned back on the mountain of pillows that Glen had given him, but Ezekiel held him to the bed a moment later before relenting.


    The Shifter helped him and pulled him back into a sitting position, still holding him by his throat. After Brandon was up, he released him and held his hands out to the sides of him, in a symbol of surrender.


    "Ok..... I''ll let you up....but seriously, think before you do anything else aggressively. You''re not in the healthiest state right now, so if you pop those stitches again, it could be awful. Just keep your hands to yourself. That can''t be too hard... "The Shifter said teasingly as he slowly but confidently sat on the edge of the mattress and dropped his arms into his lap.


    Brandon scoffed softly and as the Shifter settled in beside him. Brandon waited for him to do something...or say something, but for the longest moments, they just...looked at each other. The Shifter, Ezekiel, sat inches away from him, and his proximity was oddly nice. Brandon watched his face; his blue eyes, which were so strange and slit, roamed over Brandon''s face as he watched him back. Then suddenly, the Shifter was staring at his throat, his nose flaring as he seemed to catch a scent. Brandon had the feeling that the Shifter was scenting him.


    An image of Ezekiel holding Brandon to the wall suddenly sprang back up. His grip, his body locking him into the wall. His gentle lips...his fangs on his skin. The smell and heat of his form had nearly ignited unwanted shudders from him. Brandon shook the thought off, put a hand on his throat, and looked away. The feeling of his own fingertips on his skin still shocked him, and he flinched.


    Not for the first time, he wondered where his gloves were now. He had grown accustomed to the feeling of leather on his skin after donning his gloves in the morning and wearing them all day. A habit that had saved many lives.


    Where did all of my stuff go?


    Brandon thought to himself as he pulled his hands away from his skin.


    I can''t function without those gloves for long...


    "Why are you so quiet now?" He said to the Shifter, trying to break the silence. "What do you want from me...?" He said, looking down at his other bare hand in his lap. "Your mother said you wanted to talk to me...so talk already."


    "Are you on drugs?" The Shifter suddenly questioned him. His nostrils flared again as his eyes moved from Brandon''s throat to his face.


    "Wait.....Where the hell did that come from?"


    Brandon asked, looking back at him. He was so blindsided by the question that he laughed. "What are you talking about!?"


    "I asked if you were taking narcotics, stranger."


    Brandon wanted to tell the Shifter to go to hell, but the bewildered look on his face stopped him. He looked like there was some secret he was trying to unravel.


    Brandon didn''t know what was bothering the Shifter, and he didn''t really care. He just wanted him to get to the point. Something about Brandon that confounded him and for curiosity''s sake....Brandon wanted to know what it was.


    "Oh, that''s right, you guys are like the local law enforcement around here, aren''t you?" Brandon said. "Your mother called it....something fancy...." Brandon trailed off as he tried to dredge up the name Glen had given him in the shower.


    But the Shifter beat him to it. His blue eyes glanced away from him as he shrugged. "It''s not too fancy. We call ourselves Guardians since it''s our job to protect and serve our Clan."


    "So what is this.....an interrogation?" He sneered softly, looking at the Shifter.


    The Shifter looked back at him, and without an ounce of guilt or hesitation, he nodded his head. "Yes. I''m gonna interrogate you...but it''s simply information sharing. No pressure. No danger to you. Pretend like you''re talking to a mortal cop if it would help."


    I''ve never even been within two miles of a cop in my life. So I can''t really pretend.


    Brandon thought to himself.


    But for some reason, he appreciated that The Shifters readily offered answers.


    "All I care to tell you is that I''m a traveler. I hunt for my food, so I have to be lucid since I''ll be using weapons. I''m not taking anything." Brandon sighed, answering his absurd question, "I''m clean. I''ve never taken any narcotics. But I know I look bad, so I can see why you would ask me that....I guess?"


    The Shifter shook his head and looked like he wanted to say more, but Brandon interrupted him quickly.


    "But, if I have to talk to you, then you''re gonna have to answer a few of my questions as well."


    "Well, aren''t you an opportunist? Trying to turn an interrogation back on the interrogator...?" The Shifter smiled softly, a move that emphasized not only his incredible mouth but also the four slightly sharp teeth, two on each side of his front teeth. Pointy canines that no mortal would ever sport. The sight of them shocked him as much as the Shifters smile tried to charm him. "Fine, let''s do this. A limit of ten questions for each of us.....I believe that sounds fair enough?"


    "Alright... you''re the cop here, not me," Brandon told him, somewhat surprised by how casual but serious the Shifter was. It was oddly inviting, whereas before, Brandon had wanted nothing to do with the conversation.


    "I''m a Guardian, but who''s splitting hairs?" The Shifter shrugged as he replied. "Anyway, what is it you wanna know? Ask."


    "It''s only one question, actually....." Brandon told him. "Um, I want to know what happened when I was found. Your father and your mother say that you were the one that found me and...I don''t remember much about it."


    "Yeah, I was the one that found you," Ezekiel confirmed. "About a mile and a half out from the village....you were bleeding to death."


    "When you found me....was there anyone else with me?" Brandon asked him, trying to keep the tightness in his chest out of his voice.


    The Shifter shot him a suspicious look. "Was there supposed to be someone there with you?"


    "You''re avoiding the question," Brandon told him, and the Shifter smiled at him. Some of the teeth in his mouth looked far too pointed for Brandon''s peace of mind.


    "Tell me more, and maybe I''ll give you an answer." The Shifter tried to leverage. His blue eyes shining too bright. "Tell me who you''re looking for?"


    "No...you irritating....." Brandon sighed and closed his eyes, still feeling the sickness pounding at his head and eyes and side, but talking seemed to help....talking to the Shifter seemed to help, so he tried to moderate his anxiety. "Can you just tell me what you saw when you found me?"


    "Now who''s avoiding the question?" The Shifter shot back. He shifted on the bed as though he were preparing to stand up and leave the room. "Why should I tell you anything at all...?"


    Brandon snatched his arm and jerked the Shifter towards him. "Answer me! Was there anyone else there besides me when you found me!?"


    The Shifter snarled at him and pulled back. They stared at each other. Brandon released him and looked away as Ezekiel shot him a curious glare, but after a moment he shook his head. "Look I only saw you. When I found you, you were alone and two feet from death. I also didn''t sense anyone else out there at the time."


    The Shifter watched him. His eyes like blue lasers. The beast in him seemed to be analyzing Brandon''s every move. Every expression that he made "IS that a good thing? Or a bad thing for you?"


    Trying to hide the mountain of relief that he felt at those words, Brandon simply shrugged at him. "It''s not good or bad. Its fine..... That''s just.....fine."


    The Shifter shot him a soft glare. He didn''t seem to like Brandon''s cagey wording. So Brandon decided to change the subject. "You still have....about eight more questions to ask me, right?"


    "So now we''re keeping count...?" The Shifter sighed. "Fine. I only have about two or three." He began. "So... we''ve established that I found you out in the forest alone, but where did you come from exactly and how did you get here? Do you live around any of the nearby cities?"


    "I don''t know about that. I kind of move from place to place, not looking back." Brandon told him.


    The Shifter hissed at him slightly, and Brandon almost jumped as he was reminded that the man beside him wasn''t a man at all. "How can you not know?" He said. "Do you know how you ended up with that cut in your stomach?"


    "Oh, that cut?" Brandon rolled his eyes. "I got that from falling on top of a sharp rock." He quickly supplemented the excuse, and part of that wasn''t a total fabrication. "You now have about five questions left."


    The Shifter growled at him, obviously not liking the count that Brandon was keeping. "You fell on a rock?" he said next. "Seriously, mortal, you could at least pretend to be telling the truth."


    "Why should I pretend?" Brandon told him. "You can''t trust me. You don''t even know my name, and I don''t want to know yours. We just met, and for all you know, every word out of my mouth is or could be a lie." He pointed out.


    And that was a lie as well. Brandon had told the Shifters nothing but the truth since he woke up. He was just careful about what truths he shared or didn''t share. He had to be.


    "Stop being difficult...We can exchange names now if it would make things easier between us." The Shifter offered.


    "But I don''t want to,make it easy" Brandon said....the last thing he wanted was to get chummy with these Shifters.


    "So you don''t want to talk seriously or exchange names. Well, if you were just going to talk in circles, why did you even bother to talk to me at all? I''m not one for wasting my time!" The Shifter snarled back at him, shaking his head.


    Brandon just shrugged at him and let him guess what it meant.


    "Fine ...well, skip names for a while, so don''t clam up on me now. I feel like we''re starting to get somewhere." The Shifter said, leaning towards him slightly. It was obvious from his smirk that he was being sarcastic." Look, you said you travel and that you''re a hunter, so you must be good with directions. How did you get lost here? Were you trying to get home and ran into the forest? If so, we can get you back to your home anytime...you just have to tell me."


    "I don''t have a home," Brandon said, cutting him off quickly. "And as I was hiking... I slipped on a sharp rock and got lost. I''m assuming I lost my way because of the blood loss and fatigue the fall caused me. That''s all."


    Brandon didn''t lie, as a rule. He tried very hard not to tell lies, and he didn''t concoct stories simply because he didn''t like to do it. But.....that didn''t mean that he had to spill his guts to these people. Especially since he couldn''t really trust them.


    As Brandon saw it, part of a story was still half of the whole thing. "I didn''t come from anywhere. And I''m not going anywhere." Some of that was the truth. Brandon honestly didn''t know where he was or where he was going anymore. He just had to keep running. The place he had come from...he hoped he would never return there.


    The Shifter dropped his shoulders and sniffed at him. "Ok, so what is that supposed to mean? You don''t have a home?" The Shifter asked him, looking troubled. "Do you have anyone you can go to? Any friends or family nearby or even a few cities away from here?"


    "Nope and nope," Brandon told him, refusing to elaborate. He had little to say about himself because a normal person wouldn''t understand.


    All I have are enemies.


    He remained himself. And he knew that no one could ever relate to that sentiment.


    "You now have two questions left." He told the Shifter softly. Smoothing a hand across his lap and did everything possible not to look at the Shifter anymore."Feeling satified yet?"


    Ezekiel sighed, sounding defeated; he didn''t demand an elaboration on his answers either.


    He seemed to be taking extreme care, but he didn''t seem to like the short answers he was receiving. But before Brandon could completely shut him out. The Shifter turned his back on him and pulled something out of his pocket. 2 Thin black leather gloves

 Chapter 32- Small Favors

    Chapter 32- Small Favors


    The moment Brandon saw the precious garments, he tried to snatch them away.


    But Ezekiel was too fast for him. He jerked them out of his grasp. "Hey, Shifter...give me my gloves! I know those are mine."


    Ezekiel hissed at him in warning, flashing his teeth aggressively. Brandon glared at him, but he didn''t make a move to take them again. The Shifter shook them as he leaned closer, holding the gloves in the space between them.


    "My name is Ezekiel...not Shifter." The Shifter told him, his eyes nearly as long as ovals instead of round like a mortal''s pupil.


    "I don''t care!" Brandon said back to him.


    "That''s fine for now...you don''t have to tell me your name. Just stay calm. I know these belong to you, so you don''t have to be aggressive about it." The Shifter, Ezekiel told him with a sharp smile. "I found these on you when you came here. Along with a knife. A very long knife that you stabbed me with. I lost the blade in the mulch and didn''t care to go get it back...but I grabbed these from your pocket."


    Brandon''s eyes stayed glued to the leather as Ezekiel talked to him. He had a lot tied up in the gloves that the Shifter held. A lot of secrets that he needed them to conceal. So he ignored the Shifter''s words, and after a short silence, he snatched for the gloves again, but Ezekiel leaned back, and he missed.


    The Shifter smiled at him as he wiggled the gloves. "Want to tell me why you have these and why you were carrying a knife?"


    "Seriously, Shifter, this isn''t funny," Brandon said, feeling his head starting to pound even harder.


    "Ooooh," Ezekiel said, sucking air through his teeth and making a pained expression. "Sorry, that''s....not my name. I''m sure I just told you what it was; maybe you didn''t hear me? Im Ezekiel."


    Brandon slapped the covers between them in frustration. "Fine, Ezekiel. Happy? I hunt, so I need these items." Brandon said tersely. "I need the gloves to protect my hands and the knife to skin my kills, okay? That''s all"


    As the Shifter listened to him, Brandon shot forward and snatched the gloves out of his hands. "And they''re mine!"


    Surprisingly Ezekiel let him have them.


    Brandon''s weak hands fumbled numerous times as he tried to slip the leather over his hands. Brandon sighed in relief as the cool leather covered his palms. Brandon smiled up at his hands as he flopped back on the bed. The gloves were vital to him. In ways that he didn''t want to acknowledge. The leather had always been on his hands; he needed it to function.


    He was overjoyed to see the only other possessions he had in the world, besides himself, returned to him. In fact, he was so preoccupied with his returned property that he didn''t see how Ezekiel was analyzing him until he looked up and saw him watching. His blue eyes moved from the gloves to Brandon''s throat, then up to his eyes. The clear unnatural slit in his eyes making him look more dangerous all of a sudden.


    "You''re....very odd." He hissed out and looked at his hands again. "I know that you''re lying about the wound in your stomach. Something sharp and long cut you, and it wasn''t a rock." Ezekiel said, tilting his head to the side. He cast the gloves a glance and then looked at Brandon''s throat again. "Your scent is all wrong too...." The Shifter put a fist to his chest and rubbed his hand against his throat as though he were in discomfort. But he quickly cleared his throat and moved on. "I think...that there is something wrong with your skin. Or possibly something in your body skewing your scent."


    You have no idea...


    Brandon thought to himself. But on the outside, he smiled coldly at the Shifter as though he was somehow offended.


    "Yeah, well, who cares what you think?"


    The Shifter hissed, his blue eyes flashing just a little bit brighter.


    "Stop deflecting. I can smell it on you. There is something wrong with your body! And your story makes no sense! It could be some kind of pest in your hair or veins or....a drug that you took. Just let me smell your pulse." He said, reaching for Brandon''s newly gloved right hand, but it was Brandon''s turn to jerk away from him.


    "No...why?" Brandon bit off, tightening his fists so the leather on his hands squeaked. Just the idea of being touched again so soon and by anyone else except Glen....made his skin crawl.


    The Shifter leaned forward. "I just want to prove that there is nothing nasty in your veins. My brother checked you out a little while ago and didn''t smell anything. But I do. And I keep smelling it. It''s...."


    Brandon watched the Shifter take another inhale of his scent before frowning and wiping at his nose as if something were irritating him. "Well, I can''t describe it. I don''t know what I''m smelling, but I''ll be able to understand it now that you''re stitched up and after that shower my mother gave you. Your scent is cleaner...no old blood."


    "I don''t understand," Brandon said to him, honestly intrigued, even though he would never show it. "You live in a Shifter Clan, and I''m guessing from you people''s reaction to me... I''m the first mortal to come this way in a while. So what could you possibly know about mortal drugs or how detox even works?"


    "Wow." Ezekiel rumbled at him, smiling slightly. That charming smile hitting Brandon everywhere he didn''t want to be hit. "That''s like the longest, non-ambiguous sentence you''ve managed to speak so far. I''m surprised. No, I''m amazed."


    "Whatever. It was just a question...." Brandon sighed, looking away.


    "Okay, okay, don''t pout." Ezekiel tried to soothe him. "Look....drugs aren''t just used by mortals, okay? There are a few unfortunate Shifters in our Clan that have gotten into mortal narcotics, and my mother has had them here while she attempted to remove the drugs from their systems. Does that answer your question?"


    "Yes." Brandon nodded his head.


    "Okay." Ezekiel nodded back at him. "Now, can you give me your wrist?"


    "No. Keep your nose to yourself." Brandon said, sneering at the blue-eyed beast. "I''m not on drugs, and I don''t want you touching me anymore."


    "No one who''s on drugs actually admits it," Ezekiel said calmly, brushing off his denial. "Whether mortal or Shifter, they will lie about it. So I want to check on you myself. And I''m gonna have to touch you....." Ezekiel said, then asked him as he put up his hand. "I know that you hate it, but I need to."


    Brandon sighed and nodded again. "Fine...but this counts as your last goddamn question." He bit off, and Ezekiel shrugged.


    "Okay...." Ezekiel agreed, still holding out his hand.


    "Just do it fast."


    Ezekiel put a hands down on his wrists and wrapped his palms around the leather tightly, before he pushed Brandons own arms against his chest. Shackling them against Brandon''s sternum with nothing but his grip that was like iron. Brandon realized that he didn''t trust him not to attack him, so he was being cautious. As the Shifter leaned over his chest. His weight pressing on the arm that he had on top of Brandon''s chest making Brandon squirm in discomfort....because deep inside the Shifter''s proximity was far too lovely. Little flutters of awareness kissed his skin at every point where they came into contact, innocent brushes that highlighted tingles across his nerves.


    Ezekiel snarled as Brandon pushed against him, making Brandon think of a beast leaning over his kill. Which, of course, made it harder for Brandon to sit still. Ezekiel tightened his hold and put a hand on his chin, causing Brandon freeze as he held his face still. "Hey, calm down. Don''t move so much, or this will take longer than we both want it to."


    With his hand on his chin and their faces so close, Brandon felt a small hop in the pit of his stomach as the Shifter moved down on him and to anyone they would have thought he was going to kiss him.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    But Ezekiel bypassed his mouth completely and sniffed at his collar, his rigth hand snaked up Brandon''s arm and wrapped around the back of his neck, supporting the base of his head as he drew Brandon closer pulling him up off the pillows slightly. His touch was confident, and affecting. Cradling him like a lover.


    Trying not to fight him, Brandon let him pull him in and turn his face to the side. He stiffened as he felt Ezekiel''s nose brush against the nape of his neck, sending a shower of electricity along his body that made him clench in shock. The Shifters hand softened on his throat as though to gentle his demand. Then Ezekiels inhaled him again, the sound and feeling of his breath on Brandon''s skin was frightening......and just a little bit too intriguing.


    Brandon shuttered as the arm on the back of his throat softly shifted from the nape of his neck to his chest, resting over his heart. Large and warm, he felt Ezekiels fingertips through his thin shirt, his heart beat bouncing against his palm.


    He didn''t know what was going on with his body at this point. Brandon closed his eyes and shuttered out another breath. He really didn''t like to be touched. He hated it, but as he felt the Shifter drawing back, his hand sliding down the front of his throat gently caressing away the heat left by Ezekiels breath before it dropped away. Well....he knew he didn''t hate it nearly as much as he should have.


    "Okay," Ezekiel mumbled, backing away further as he let Brandon''s wrists go. He eyed Brandon dubiously for a moment, then pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I''m done. I didn''t smell anything in your system today either. Just...your blood. So I believe that you''re not drugged out or suffering from some kind of pest in your blood, but you still smell....strange to me. Your blood is so different....." Ezekiel trailed off, looking away from a moment like he was trying to place the scent.


    "I smell strange? Yeah, that''s always a nice thing to hear. Maybe I need another shower?" Brandon chuckled sarcastically under his breath. He shook off the feeling of Ezekiel''s hands and laid back in the bed. He whipped the sheet over his chest, trying to put as much space between them as the small bed would allow. "Now you can leave me alone, right?" he said, tugging on the cover weakly, trying to get Ezekiel to move off the bed.


    "Not really." Ezekiel hissed. It was disconcerting for Brandon to hear those animalistic sounds coming from him, but at the same time, it seemed to fit into his presence too well.


    A man...But a beast as well.


    Brandon reminded himself as Ezekiel continued to talk.


    "But since we need to wrap this up before my father gets wind of this entire thing, I will go." He said, taking his feet.


    He slid off the mattress and put his arms behind his back as he stood beside the bed. Just the simple act of shifting his weight, causing the muscles on his arms and chest to flex. Brandon almost found himself looking at the Shifter head to toe all over again. His height, his hair, and his arms. Even the slight sheen of sweat down the front of his collar, his chest glistening from his daily activities, drew his eyes.


    The way his shirt and jeans flexed with his every movement, muscles dancing. The Shifter was....nothing but a distraction. His body was a magnet for Brandon''s eyes, but other things kept pulling his attention. Especially his scent. The smell of pine and sweat wafting off of the Shifter was the nicest thing that Brandon had ever smelled. It calmed him slightly, but he chose to fight it rather than think about how or why.


    The Shifter held Brandon''s gaze with his glowing cat eyes. "Hey, I want to ask you one more thing before I go, though."


    "And what if I said No?" Brandon challenged him. "You''ve already reached a max of ten questions, mister."


    Ezekiel blinked as though Brandon hadn''t said a word and continued to look him in the eyes. "Please tell me why were you screaming?" He asked him softly. "In your sleep...you were screaming like someone was killing you."


    Brandon could have played dumb. He could have ignored the question, but he knew that he did often dissolve into screams against his will. In his sleep, he could feel the panic taking hold, and he had woken up on more than one occasion.....hyperventilating or screaming into his pillow. Clawing at his face...or in a pool of vomit.


    He didn''t have to see the sad look on the Shifter''s face to know that he had been privy to one of Brandon''s scream sessions.


    "Don''t... Don''t worry about it. We don''t have to talk about that." Brandon scoffed and looked away from him. He was getting uncomfortable talking to this Shifter the longer he picked at his brain. "You don''t wanna know."


    "Come on, would it hurt you to answer just one of my questions?" Ezekiel shot back at him.


    He was nothing but a stranger to Brandon. But Brandon did owe him.


    A stranger that saved your life.


    Brandon remained himself.


    Even if you didn''t ask him too.


    He debated whether he would answer him seriously. What harm could it do to talk about the screams? The dreams.


    Brandon knew that if the Shifter had been anything like his father, the pushy and aggressive Mantilo with his barbed questions, Brandon wouldn''t have talked to him at all. But Ezekiel didn''t act that way towards him. He honestly seemed curious. The Shifters voice held a genuine note that Brandon found hard to shut out entirely. And that sort of irritated him.


    He looked back at the Shifter, feeling a little defeated even though Ezekiel hadn''t said a word yet. Calm and shocking blue eyes just analyzed him. Waited patiently for a response. Brandon felt compelled to say something to fill the expectant silence between them.


    "Fine, I''ll tell you, but it''s nothing big." Brandon sighed as he finally broke the silence and answered his question. "I suffer from night terrors. I have a bad dream, and I scream... That''s it."


    "Night terrors? Do all mortals experience them? What are they about? Do you have them often?" Ezekiel asked him next with a curious tilt of his head.


    "Look, I thought you only had one question?" Brandon hedged rather than answer him this time.


    "Sorry, your right..... I''m done. I''ll leave you to rest." Ezekiel sighed, throwing up his hands. A beautiful smile overcame him suddenly. "But I think I can do something for you before I go." He said. "If you''ll let me....there may be something that I can do to help you get a few good hours of rest tonight."


    "Well, what are you gonna do?" Brandon shrugged. "It''s just how my brain works. You can''t help that." Brandon said as he sighed, pushing his head back into the pillows.


    "Yeah, well, I know how to fix your brain....or at least trick it into resting for a while," Ezekiel told him, still smiling.


    "IF your TRICK has anything to do with more needles? Then I don''t want to see it." Brandon told him as he yawned. He was sure his jawbone popped as he felt the tears gathering in his eyes. He was dying to sleep, but he knew there wouldn''t be any peace for him when he closed his eyes. He tried to keep talking to the Shifter, but even that seemed to be getting more complicated. "There''s nothing to do for this kind of thing. You can''t trick a brain with meds."


    "I don''t plan to use any needles on you," Ezekiel said. "But I don''t think you''re gonna like it when I do this either." Brandon waited to see if Ezekiel was going to pull out some kind of pill or sleeping fluid but Ezekiel stayed next to him not moving for a few seconds.


    "Just don''t move around too much...." He hesitated to move back, and instead, after having a silent battle with himself, he reached out and put a hand to Brandon''s forehead gently but far faster than Brandon could catch.


    Shocked by the sudden contact but already lying down on a pillow, Brandon could not flinch away from the touch the way he wanted to. Instead, he had to settle for a glare.


    "Get off me!" Brandon shouted at the Shifter. But since he neither had the strength to move his arms or shift his body, all he could really do was raise his voice. "Get OFF!! Stop touching me! Please! Dont!"


    "Stop panicking." Ezekiel met his glare head-on and didn''t remove his hand in the least. "Shhh..." Ezekiel mummed as though he was soothing a small animal and not a person. The eyes he had closed opened and were now burning bright blue. The eyes of a cat pinned him down, but there wasn''t anything angry or cold there, just soft and imploring. "I''m not going to hurt you. I promise...you are safe with me."


    Brandon was uncomfortable with the instant belief that he felt for his words. But so far the Shifter hadn''t done anything to him, but asked him a few questions and return his gloves to him....so maybe believing Ezekiel when he said that he wasn''t going to hurt him now wasn''t completely moronic of him.


    God...does he have to touch me...?


    Brandon thought to himself.


    "What the hell are you doing?" he forced himself not to shout this time giving an unwilling inch.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not trying to do anything weird." Ezekiel mummed, his eyes drifting closed again, as though he was falling asleep, except that he kept talking. "Just close your eyes. I''m gonna see if I can help you."


    "I don''t want any more of your help! So, get away me Shifter." Brandon nearly shouted, as he tried to turn his head away, unsuccessfully. Wedged into the pillows, he didn''t move much.


    "Listen.... You''re so obviously exhausted. Don''t you want to sleep? If you let me, I will help with that!" Ezekiel snipped at him, opening one of his glowing eyes to look at Brandon''s face. And Brandon had a good idea of what the man saw, because he was tired.


    No.


    Tired and exhausted, those words didn''t fit.


    Brandon felt far worse.


    Dead. Empty. Sloth.


    Those words hit far closer to his mark of how he was currently feeling, and he was just lying down in a bed.


    If...if the Shifter wants to help me sleep, maybe I can try to hear him out? He''s probably just going to medicate me again anyway.


    Brandon told himself.


    "Okay. Let''s see you put me too sleep then." Sighing, Brandon finally closed his eyes, and that''s when he began to feel it.


    A soft pressure on his mind, something as warm as the hand across his forehead, expanded all across his senses: his cheeks, throat, and hands. Like sunlight light, but soothing. Suddenly, Brandon saw himself sitting on a small patch of green grass, in the sunlight, sleeping. It was so calming to see the grasses, the blue sky, and the lukewarm wind on his scalp.


    Where is the image coming from? Are these Ezekiel''s thoughts?


    Brandon wondered.


    I feel a cold chill on my forehead, but why does his skin feel so cold now, almost like it''s piercing my mind?


    So many questions and so much anxiety, but the warmth was just too nice for him to fight. He didn''t want to fight it.


    Brandon slipped into a soft unconsciousness that was warm and sunny this time instead of a biting solitary darkness. For the first time in......weeks, he got to rest.


    Brandon had stayed strong longer than most men could have staved off sleep deprivation or the insanity that it causes, but he was overjoyed to finally slide into the calm darkness now. He knew that the nightmares were gone for now. Of course, they would return, but for the next few minutes, Brandon would be free of it. And tonight.....By GOD, he could sleep! And for the next few hours, he could sleep without worry.


    What a luxury. He actually tried to sigh out a broken word of thnks...but he was gone before his lips could move.

 Chapter 33 - A Massacare

    Chapter 33- Massacre


    Silence.


    The mortals head slumped in his grasp. Ezekiel looked for a moment at his face, the delicate dance of his eye lashes, pale skin, the  beige pink press of his lips as they drifted open. It was a sight that made him feel things, so he looked away fast.


    Ezekiel smiled; his eyes once again closed as he let a little bit more of his internal impressions pour across the mortals mind. He shared his memories of soft warmth, peace, relaxation. He impressed these thoughts in a loop of energy and suggestion until he felt it take root, like a little blanket of energy, the memory would slowly play out on its own, fading from the mortals mind completely, but he hoped that the peace and warmth would remain once his shared memories faded from Brandon''s mind. The mortal seemed to need it.


    This being another part of Ezekiel''s innate abilities, he felt the power inside of his core, trickling out of him and into his entire body. A warm stream separate from his blood, but his to direct as he willed through his body.


    Innate abilities were rare and powerful supernatural abilities often only gifted to one Leopard male or female every two decades. And only one male or female in a family typically possessed an innate ability, but for Ezekiel and his brothers these things didn''t seem to apply. All of them were supernaturally gifted. And Ezekiel....was the first and only Shifter born to have more than one innate ability at his disposal. Their powers made them great Guardians but in some ways...the gift was also a curse.


    At times when people needed their powers Ezekiel and his brothers were proud to have them, but dealing with each of their individual powers and the side effects from them was an exercise in will. In some cases Ezekiel knew that his siblings each struggled with it.


    Ezekiel had his own....side effects that caused him no end of pain when it came to his own innate abilities. Ezekiel could impress his thoughts and memories on others through touch. Which is what he had just done to calm the mortals mind. Good feelings like peace and comfort he could share or weave into another person''s consciousness. Bad feelings like terror and hate he could also push onto his enemies or anyone he wanted to mentally dominate. But he could only do it through touch, and unfortunately, the act was not two-sided. He couldn''t read the thoughts of others or take their memories. But unlike the rest of his brothers, Ezekiel had more than one innate ability. In fact, he had three of them.


    Making him the most supernaturally possessed male to ever be born in the last few centuries. Ezekiel never let this go to his head, though. He was not in search of power or validation. He didn''t need to bang on his chest and posture.


    Besides, Ezekiel knew that each of his brothers was gifted, and, in some ways, they were more powerful than him, as he was more powerful than them.


    He felt no need to compete, and each of his siblings, excluding Lander, seemed to feel the same. Ezekiel failed to tap into his powers too often because there was a side of himself that he never wanted to let out, but he did often use his powers to help him with his duties as a Clan Guardian.


    He was usually the one in the family to keep his siblings from erupting into an all-out war. With a touch he could often stop an angry Shift or a clouded mind. Stop other Shifters from overflowing with frustrations or fighting amongst themselves. He could soothe even his father''s wrath or Landers if he could touch them, and only if there was no other option. He did not use his abilities to manipulate others.


    He could help them keep the beast at bay if they lost themselves and in his village many looked for him to intervene when there was a massive dispute among the Clans men or a blood feud that refused to die out between some younger leopards.


    He may not have been the most respected or law-abiding of his siblings, but his power was respected, and in the end, that was what mattered. Especially since his other two powers would be deadly if he didn''t control them. The other powers were tied into his blood, making Ezekiel what his people called a Reaver.


    A strange, feral concoction of Shift energy and Supernatural strength was always boiling beneath the surface. Like steam in his soul building up with no way out.


    Reavers were dangerous. Unlimited strength. Unlimited rage. In the wrong state of mind, or if he got terribly wounded....he could and would turn Reaver. He would hunt and kill anything in sight. The rage and unfiltered power that he could display were bad enough, but Ezekiel also had another innate ability: stamina. A deep, deep reservoir of stamina.


    Ezekiel spent most of his time finding an outlet for the power inside of him. He was rarely tired or sick, and he felt this buzz all around his leopard, pushing it against him all the time. For some Shifters, the beast inside was easy to control, but for Ezekiel, the beast was right there with him, step for step. It could and would take him over. He held it down, but the Reaver in him kept him and his leopard on edge no matter what.


    He was always in one thing or another. Always poking his nose around where it didn''t belong. But Ezekiel had taught himself to use that, to indulge in the boundless back and forth in his mind and body. He used it to sharpen his mind and keep active. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for Ezekiel, curiosity had saved him from going insane a long, long time ago.


    Ezekiel opened his eyes slowly, sighed as the stranger''s scent washed over him, and pulled back his hand. The smell of leather mixed with the peppered scent of the mortal blood still sent a zing of awareness into him, but Ezekiel tried to ignore the slight burn in his throat as he turned and blew out the candle and left the mortal to rest.


    When Ezekiel returned to the hall, his mother and brothers all turned to look at him. Ezekiel looked back at them and shook his head. "I got nothing." He told them as he ran a hand back across his head and scratched the back of his scalp. "He wouldn''t talk about it or anything, really." He explained.


    Glen sighed. "Well, we tried." She cast Ezekiel a soft smile of encouragement. "Thanks anyway, honey. I will still try to talk with your father about this."


    Ezekiel smiled back at her and touched her arm. "Don''t worry." He told her. "I''ve got an idea."


    And the Mortal had given it to him.


    ****


    Ten minutes later found Ezekiel and the rest of his family on the ground floor of their mansion. The warm glow of candlelight contrasted the dark, starless night beyond the drapes. Ezekiel could feel the minutes ticking away until his father would return, minutes he was wasting.


    "You can kiss my ass. I''m not wasting my breath on this anymore. Dad''s gonna be back tomorrow, and then all of this will be out of your hands," Lander hissed as Ezekiel asked him once more to cover for him. Ezekiel needed to slip out now.


    The rest of Ezekiel''s family had already moved out into the foyer by the front door. Nate and Walter had already heard about his plan, and realizing that they couldn''t be instrumental in making it work, his brothers had gone off to the doorway with Ezekiel''s mother to discuss Patrol and the upcoming festival.


    "Come on, you sour bastard. It''s just one little lie!" Ezekiel tried not to beg and found himself failing miserably. Lander hissed at him, but for the most part, he ignored him as he sat in his seat, stoically putting on. But Ezekiel knew that if he wanted his last-ditch plan to work, Lander was going to have to be on his side. The mortal''s words had struck a chord in his mind.


    Why had he asked me if anyone else was out in the woods?


    Ezekiel had wondered to himself all after putting the man to sleep. Ezekiel had been sufficiently busy at the time, trying not to die, so he had honestly been unable to analyze the surroundings for any other beings besides the intruder. And with the strange scent of the mortal''s blood playing with his senses, Ezekiel couldn''t recall smelling other bodies in the woods, but could there have been someone else out there?


    Was there another intruder in the forest? Is there something out there that can help me get to the bottom of this?


    Because the sooner Ezekiel removed some of the mystery surrounding the mortal, the sooner he could get his father to stop being so overprotective.


    He hoped.


    Ezekiel needed to sneak away from Patrol and out into the fringes of the forest, back to the place where he first discovered the mortal. And this is where Lander came in. Ezekiel knew that if anyone else except for Lander tried to cover for him with their dad, except for Lander, Ezekiel knew his father would be highly suspicious. For all his aggression, Lander was the most straightforward of them all.


    Lander hissed as he stood up and began to walk out of the door.


    "Lander, wait! Stop being an ass, you know Dad gonna be back soon ..." Ezekiel called, walking behind him, only for him to slam into his brother''s back when he abruptly stopped in the middle of the doorway.


    Over his shoulder, he spotted his mother and brothers standing just in front of the door. His mother was in a slim black nightgown that dusted the carpet beneath her bare feet, and his siblings were in their patrolling gear. Ezekiel did a hiss of his own and went to shove his brother out of the way, but at that moment, Lander turned his head and shot him a warning look.


    "I''d shut up if I were you..... ''cause he just walked up the steps." His green-eyed brother barely whispered as he stepped to the side and leaned back against the wall ignoring Ezkeiel.


    Before Ezekiel could even register that all of his plans had just gone up in smoke, the front door was opening and his father was striding in.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The moment he saw his entire family gathered in the foyer, he paused, looked at each of them, sighed, and closed the door behind himself.


    Instantly, Ezekiel picked up the vibe that something was wrong.


    Why is he back so soon?


    Ezekiel asked himself as his mother greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.


    He''s never been back hours before the deadline before...


    Even though his father must have sensed his son''s curiosity, all of his attention remained on his wife for the first few moments after he came into the house. Mantilo greeted her softly and embraced Ezekiel''s mother, his broad chest and arms looking like they would swallow Glen up entirely before he let her go a moment later.


    Mantilo greeted Walter first, and the severity of his tone as they began to speak made it apparent that his mind was on far, far grimmer things besides the continuing tension of the stranger''s presence in his home.


    Ezekiel cast Lander a curious glance as their father waved them over, but as Lander cast him a customary sneer and shrugged back, Ezekiel walked over without further hesitation.


    His father didn''t mince any words. With a soft breath, he shook his head, his dark hair soaking up the candlelight. His brown eyes hard with regret.


    "We have a dangerous situation." He began, glancing at each of his sons as he talked. "Something has slaughtered a couple moose in the western part of the fields. Something large. Something....angry."


    All of the brothers took a step closer, their interest piqued...and their instincts telling them that this was a moment to band together.


    "The Sem''s Clan alerted me to the mass slaughter last night and sent me a message requesting that I come out to the fields and investigate it personally."


    "Well, that was bold of them, wasn''t it?" Nate pointed out. He put his thumbs through his jean pockets. A slightly serious grin on his face as he looked at Walter. "Calling out the Head of the Clan to investigate a few dead Moose?"


    "No, I wasnt bothered by the request.....and it wasn''t just a few moose''s Nate." Mantilo said. "The entire field that I visited was covered in bloody moose bits! A massacre."


    "Nice." Lander scoffed.


    Their mother shot him a serious look, but for the most part, the rest of the family ignored him.


    "An entire field? So, how many do you think actually died out there?" Ezekiel asked him next. He was better with numbers. He didn''t much care for ambiguity.


    His father cast him a serious look. "All of the bodies were disjointed, so I had to estimate from the random body parts strewn all about the place...." He told him. "But I''d place my guess at about fifteen dead and there may be another five or so that were drug off and eaten."


    "So something kills fifteen or more moose, chews on a few pieces and that''s it? What the hell did it even kill the moose with....a bazooka?"


    Glen cast Lander an odd look. "What on earth is a bazooka?" she interrupted.


    All of the brothers looked at Lander. Ezekiel had no answer for her. He honestly had never heard of such a thing himself. Lander laughed.


    "Uh Don''t worry about it mom... it''s just this sick that the mortals shoot out of a cannon that makes everything it hits explode into bunch of pieces."


    "Okay....back to what I was saying before. It wasn''t a bazokie or whatever." Mantilo growled.


    Lander went to correct his improper use of the mortal term, Ezekiel kicked his shoe and glared him into silence.


    "The thing that did this.....ripped and clawed the bodies apart." Their father explained demonstrating slight by letting his own claws pop up from his fingertips. "All of the bodies were slashed up, the cuts between joints jagged. And Blood was all over the field. Soaking it as if the beasts had been taken by surprise and dispatched in a mighty flurry of killing."


    Fifteen moose....nothing in these parts, hunts like that.


    Ezekiel thought to himself as each of them silently digested the information.


    There''s a few bears and mountain lions and foxes.....but nothing that would hunt so excessively and also nothing that is strong enough to take down so many moose....


    Ezekiel had had his own run-in with a moose years ago. Antlers a hard a cement, hooves as sharp as glass and a heavy body made of muscles and height. On his sixteenth birth day he had gotten to close to a fawn while hunting with his brother his leopard had suffered not one, or two punctures, from kicks and antlers to its body, but five deep wounds that had taken weeks to fully heal from.


    The moose that foraged around the western and northern parts of their lands were powerful and they were territorial mammoth''s that demanded respect and all of the Shifters in Ezekiels Clan gave it to them. It was only when the moose migrated around the mountains that they were hunted in preparation for the annual ceremony.


    Ezekiel felt a slight chill because he couldn''t logically place what or who had managed to kill so much game. He knew that not even a pack of a pack of rabid dogs would have been strong enough to kill so many of those moose.


    "Look, it doesn''t matter so much what it was..." Mantilo began after a few moments of silence had passed. He hissed softly as he moved away from the circle and walked towards the staircase. For a split second Ezekiel feared that he was going up stairs after the mortal again, but his father simply sat on the staircase and looked at them. "Right now I fell that''s its urgent that we find it and keep it from killing any more of the game we live off of."


    Ezekiel and all of his brothers nodded in agreement to that.


    "Okay! So let''s go hunt it down already!" Lander bumped Nate''s shoulder. "With this mutt''s nose on our side...." He began as Nate growled at him. "We''ll be able to track down whatever it was long before morning. It had to have left some kind of scent behind or tracks....."


    "No...." Mantilo breathed heavily, cutting his son off. "I already tried to track down whatever it was by scent, but there was far too much blood, decay for me to get a good accurate scent."


    "No scent trail? That complicates things for us...." Walter rumbled in a voice that could have been disappointment or indifference.


    "Well sweetheart.....tracking is more than scent trails, I''ve seen you guys tracking game in lots of different ways." Glen said Ezekiel''s oldest brother. With big green eyes urging them to be positive, she looked at her husband and said. "Let''s forget scent. Whatever it was that killed the moose''s to the west must have sustained some injuries of its own, right?" She asked him "So what about tracks or blood that wasn''t from the moose''s? Do you remember if you smelled that?" she asked him, but Mantilo rubbed a large hand across his eyes tiredly and shrugged.


    "IT was a travesty Glen. Something about it, something about the marks on the bodies, it seemed familiar.....but....for the most part?" Mantilo sighed again. "The moose were completely opened up in the fields, so there was also the scent of feces and urine from the intestines and released bladders that had been pulled out into the fields. It obscured all traces of smell and brought in multiple scavengers that further messed up the area for any adequate tracking to take place. So tracks were overrode by other predators that visited the site before I arrived."


    "Well..... let''s just go already!" Nate nearly yipped in excitement. Nothing got Ezekiel''s brother more excited than the idea of the chase.


    "If we go, it would be best to have all hands on deck. Tracking down whatever killed the Moose may not exactly be a walk in the park." Ezekiel''s dad told them. "I''ll be calling in the rest of the Guardians from patrol to help tonight."


    Ezekiel found himself smiling softly at that.


    Man...


    He thought to himself.


    It''s almost been two weeks since I saw Erin and Drin.


    All the business with the upcoming festival and the intruder showing up has kept me too busy to go by and pay those two a visit.


    Ezekiel regretted that now. The two other Guardians in the village, which brought the total up to six, were not just his friends but his family. Theses Guardians he thought of lived outside of the brothers home, but they that were as close to Ezekiel as anyone could be, because they were his cousins. Ezekiel absolutely adored the last two Guardians in their family, not only because they were younger then him, but because he had watched them grow up.


    But the tension between him and his dad, coupled with his regular duties and patrols in the villages, had seriously put a damper on his time. Suddenly, the prospect of seeing his cousins was all the motivation he needed.


    "All right!" Nate nearly yipped like the wolf that he was. "It''s all hands on deck, but it''s not gonna be necessary. This is just gonna end up being total overkill!" He partly scoffed.


    "What? You don''t think I should pull the other Guardians in on this...This thing could be something lethal." Mantilo began, but Nate wasn''t convinced by his somber tone.


    "Dad, I doubt it!" Nate denied him softly. "You know what I think? It''s probably just one of the local Bears. Last month a bear wondered into the Horse fences and took out three of the Mares before we could run it off."


    "Oh, and why do we care what you think?" Lander growled at him, the scowl on his face a certain contrast to the smirk on Nate''s.


    "Come on, I just know! I feel it down in my wooly tail!" His brother exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Lander''s neck and leaning on him heavily. Until Lander shoved him off. Barely fazed by Lander''s customary aggression towards him, Nate simply smiled harder, flashing a sharp set of canines.


    He bounced up on his feet and brought his hands before him. "Six of us on one hunt? We''re so gonna slaughter this thing....and believe me when I say this..." Nate smiled as he pushed his fists into his palms, alternating, popping his knuckles as he talked. "It''s going to be awesome!" Nate inserted optimistically.


    Ezekiel and his mother both shook their heads. As Mantilo and Lander sighed. Nate Wolf was showing out, excited by the prospect of hunting in a pack.


    Walter simply shrugged, his face nearly expressionless, aside from the slight shine of luminescent yellow bleeding through his eyes, as the prospect of the hunt stirred his inner beast closer to the surface.


    "All right... let''s gear up and then we''ll meet the other Guardians on the way." Mantilo told all of them, then he looked directly at their mother. "Can you bring me my blade and a fresh pair of boots?"


    For the first time, Ezekiel glanced at his father''s feet and noticed the crimson blood stains discoloring most of his tanned hide and soaking the strings.


    With an accommodating smile and a nod, Ezekiel watched his mother hurry towards the kitchen.


    All of Ezekiel''s brothers moved and clustered about the front door. Ezekiel could literally feel the heat around them, floating softly in the air as the Shift simmered beneath their skin, and it was at that exact moment, he realized that he didn''t even know if he was going to be allowed to join them.


    Hunting. Shifting. Ezekiel knew that those things were privileges in Shifter culture. Things that all Shifters were allowed to do, but when one Shifter angered another, particularly a Shifter in a higher standing than themselves, Shifting in that shifter''s presence was enough to start a fight. Other things like Hunting was a privilege that most Shifters were barred from participating in if the Clan Head felt the need to discipline or punish them.


    And Ezekiel knew that he had angered his father greatly in the last few days. He was still on thin ice, and the issue with the mortal was still at a boiling point....but whatever was going on sounded like important business. And even in the middle of the awkward situation he found himself in...it was his job to protect the Clan from danger.


    But he realized that he wouldn''t know unless he dared to ask.


    "Dad...?" Ezekiel asked his father as he stepped up beside him. Mantilo had his head tilted down as he waited for Glen to return, but he quickly opened his stormy brown eyes and glanced at Ezekiel with a cocked bow. "This whole thing sounds a little bit dangerous and I wanna tag along....if that''s all right?"


    His father didn''t even look at him as he leaned forward and began untying the laces from his boots.


    "Nate said all hands on deck, so I guess that means you too, but if you''re coming do as I say and bring shoes....cause it''s not pretty out there." Mantilo said to him. He slipped his large feet out of his bloody boots and socks, just as Glen returned to the room with a massive pair of boots under her arm. As his father slammed his feet one by one into fresh boots and laced them up, all of the brothers shared looks of displeasure, but all they all put on their boots and Tims as well.


    Ezekiel nodded at Lander when he tossed him his boots from beside the door, and after a moment of shuffling, Nate tossed the door open and charged out into the night. "Let''s move!"


    Ezekiel bit off a hiss of discomfort as the warm energy of the Shift pooled in his feet beneath the leather encasing his feet. All Shifters in their Clan knew that shifting and boots just didn''t mix well, but if their father had advised them to wear shoes, it would have been better for Ezekiel to comply.


    So, after kissing his mother on the cheek, he was also out in the darkness.