Brothers - 10. Chapter 10

DEVYN

The werewolf was pissed. He wasn’t allowed to help take Jason home because he had school. It was another black mark on the place, one Devyn almost couldn't take.
At least Jason would be free of that prison. If Devyn never went back into those nose-destroying halls, the wolf would consider his life well spent.
Clicking down the road with his cane, Devyn looked over at Dylan.
"How long are you wearing that thing?"
The calico pulled at his mask uncertainly.
"I don't know. Now that I'm in it, I kind of like it. I feel like one of those masked villains," he said, his voice slightly muffled by the blue mask that sat over his nose. "Granted, my breath kinda stinks regardless of how I brush, but I can probably deal with that. Besides, Etul said it would help keep any other nekos safe. They aren't sure exactly how to cure us yet."
"Jason is cured."
"Oh. Yeah. But he was actually sick. I'm not. I guess that's the difference," Dylan shrugged. "How is he doing? I'm not allowed in to see him."
"Not happy. I doubt he blames you, though," Devyn grunted as they cut across a field. "He's coming home today. Maybe you can see him this afternoon."
"Don't tell Brienne he’s coming home. I think she has the hots for him," Dylan chuckled lightly.
A tiny growl rumbled in the werewolf's throat, Dylan looking at him in concern. Devyn cleared his throat, walking on like nothing had happened.
"Are you going to first period?"
"No," Devyn grunted.
"Okay."
Dylan didn't try to push the wolf. There was no point in pissing Devyn off this early in the morning. He had definitely inherited his mother's temper.
"Oh, hey, is your mom still doing that fundraiser?"
"I think so," Devyn shrugged. "She told me to stay out of it, so I'm staying out of it. Too much chocolate anyway."
The wolf's lips curled in distaste.
"Yeah, you probably shouldn't tell her that Father will be working it too. He's determined to see her dethroned as the autumn fair pie-baking champion," Dylan said, shaking his head. "What's wrong with werewolves? Er, present company excluded…"
Devyn shrugged, limping across the car park to the school. He really didn’t know why werewolves constantly had to one-up each other. Even when he was racing, he did it for fun, not to be number one. Even if he always was number one. The neko’s comment didn’t hurt for the simple fact that he was not a werewolf. He would never be a werewolf, just a normal wolf with human parents. Devyn had nothing to prove to anyone.
Well, except for his mother, but that was her problem, not his.
A black wolf bounded toward them, Dylan freezing as the small wolf skidded to a stop in front of Devyn.
“Morning Blake,” Devyn said, reaching forward to scratch the black wolf’s ears gently. “You should go change. The school doesn’t like us in wolf form. Some stupid crap about a lack of communication.”
Blake whimpered quietly, head cocked to the side. His tail was starting to droop, the werewolf’s body reacting slowly to Devyn’s words.
“Yeah, I know it’s great being a wolf,” Devyn sighed. “Come on, I’ll take you to the Room.”
He said it the same way one would say vet, the wolf shuddering slightly at the word. Blake seemed to hang onto every word, the wolf looking up at Devyn as he walked patiently beside the human wolf.
“See you at lunch. Say hi to Brienne for me,” Devyn said with a nod to Dylan.
Dylan nodded back before pulling away, his legs easily opening the distance between him and his friend. Devyn let out a breath, before heading toward the WolfRoom, Blake hugging his heels. It startled the wolf. Was Blake so starved for attention that he would just hug anyone who gave him some? Devyn would have thought he’d be averse to anyone touching him after the way he had been changed.
There was certainly a lot for the wolf to unpackage there. But if Blake was happy hanging around him, Devyn couldn’t bring himself to push the other wolf away.
Maybe he should invite the younger wolf to run with his pack on the next full moon. Blake had certainly seemed to enjoy running yesterday. But then, what wolf didn’t enjoy the burn of exercise, the feel of a cool breeze ruffling their fur? Gods, Devyn wished he could be in his proper form now…
A rock hit his ankle, pulling Devyn out of his thoughts. The wolf looked down at the floating stone, grunting quietly. It wasn't high in the air, and it was still wobbly, height fluctuating slightly as Blake strained at the tethers of energy controlling the rock.
“Not bad,” Devyn said, as the stone dropped back to the ground, narrowly avoiding his foot. “I didn’t know you could use magic as a wolf.”
Blake huffed happily, pressing against Devyn’s leg as the man leaned on his cane for support. Devyn reached down, gently petting the werewolf with a smile on his face.
“Good boy,” he murmured quietly, Blake’s tail wagging quickly.
They finally reached the wolf room, Doctor Marin holding the door open for the two.
“Good morning Blake. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Devyn.”
Devyn huffed, a decidedly inhuman noise that Doctor Marin brushed off. The human wolf wondered if the older werewolf had sent Blake to trick him into coming here. He wouldn’t put it past the doctor. Not that Devyn wouldn’t have followed Blake, even had he known.
“Blake, why don’t you go ahead and get changed for the day? If you stay a wolf, then everyone will want to be a wolf, and we don’t want the school to be mad about a pack of wolves running through the school,” Doctor Marin said.
The young wolf trudged toward the changing room, Devyn shaking his head with a tiny smirk. Maybe he wasn’t the only true wolf here.

JASON

Jason held up his legs as he was pushed through the halls, a silent giggle in his throat. Life was full of simple pleasures, like being pushed in a wheelchair or not having a needle sticking out of your elbow. Or freedom from a hospital that was slowly looking more like a prison with each passing day. The neko hoped he would never have to come here again.
In his lap, Jason cuddled his book bag, freshly cleaned before Devyn had brought it the night before. The wolf had said something about Margaret and Richard arguing and wanting to get out of the house. Jason hoped they weren’t arguing about him. He had always thought wolf mates were supposed to be happy together. Why would the universe put two people together when they weren’t good for each other? Or was there something faulty in the whole fated mate thing? Maybe he should ask Doctor Marin. From the sounds of it, he knew everything about werewolves. Maybe he could help Margaret and Richard.
The neko was pushed outside, the cool morning air cutting into him like a knife. He inhaled the fresh air like a dying person, gulping it down dramatically. The nurse behind him chuckled at his antics.
“Come on, I thought we gave you five-star service,” she said.
Jason snorted, shaking his head as a car pulled up to the sidewalk. Richard stepped out of the passenger seat, heading over to the neko.
“Hey, need a little help?”
Nodding gratefully, Jason reached out with his uninjured arm, Richard pulling him to his feet. The man held Jason up as the neko found his feet, Jason’s grey tail shaking itself out in a puff of fur. Once he had his balance, the neko tapped Richard gently, smiling back at… Niya? Yeah, that was her name. Jason was a little upset he hadn’t remembered, but then, he doubted she had noticed. It wasn’t like he had called her a different name out loud.
“We have one of Devyn’s old canes in the back if you need it,” Richard offered.
Jason shook his head, reaching for the car door. He let himself fall into the back seat, sliding in before closing the door. His legs weren’t bad, he just had been sitting in bed for nearly three days.
“How are you feeling, Jason?” Margaret asked as Richard got back into the car.
The neko stuck a thumb up high in the air as he buckled his seatbelt, heart hammering in his chest. It was only a short distance back home… he hoped.
“Good. Let’s get you home, and then you can help me try out a new recipe I'm working on,” Margaret smiled, the car moving away from the curb.
“I told you your pie is delicious,” Richard said.
“Yeah, but you have to say that,” Margaret retorted. “Oh, and don’t worry, Jason. You won’t be seeing any mint anytime soon.”
The neko was gripping the side of the seat tightly, his eyes glued to the windshield. He couldn’t answer, even if he wanted to. His allergy to peppermint was the furthest thing from his mind at that moment.
“So I found another company, but they want to retrain me. And they’re based out of Ceos,” Richard said offhand, Margaret scowling.
“Find someone else. We don’t need to be uprooted for a new job. It’s bad enough we barely saw you at the old one.”
“Hey, at least you wouldn’t have to deal with Jordan-”
“Try again. Jordan’s no trouble. He’s more likely to burn his stuff than come out with something even remotely edible,” Margaret scoffed.
Sighing, Richard shook his head slowly, Jason thoroughly confused. Had the man actually quit his job? That was good… right? Margaret had been complaining about his job, so Jason figured she’d be happy if Richard quit. Had that been what last night’s argument had been about?
“Didn’t Lysander say something about a medical trucking job?” Margaret asked.
“Yeah, but he really has no pull over that. Still, I can look into it. I might actually not have to travel between cities for that. It would be nice,” Richard shrugged.
“And you might actually make it to one of Devyn’s races. Or Jason’s,” Margaret added, glancing back at the neko in the mirror.
“Here’s hoping. When is the first race, anyway?”
“Devyn usually has his about a week after school starts. I’m thinking it’s the same for Jason, but I’m really not sure of the schedule yet.”
Jason nodded silently. Usually, they ran after the wolves, though the cross-country race generally started before the sprints. He wasn’t exactly sure what that would mean for Devyn, but Jason assumed he’d be starting after the wolves finished completely. Then again, the meets he’d been at generally didn’t have a lot of wolves. The neko wondered what it would be like at a pack school.
Finally, they reached the house, Margaret pulling safely into the driveway. Jason unbuckled his belt before scrambling out of the car. He grabbed his bag, closing the car door carefully before waiting for Margaret and Richard to join him outside the metal deathtrap.
“You don’t like cars, do you?” Richard noted as he headed toward the front door.
Margaret let out an exasperated breath, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry, Jason, I should have realized you wouldn’t be comfortable in a car. Is there anything that would help you?”
‘Devyn,’ the neko signed quickly. ‘He helps a lot.’
“Wolf? Oh yeah, I made sure he’s nice and clean for you,” Margaret mentioned as they stepped inside.
Jason nodded slowly. Elroy would probably help too, but he hadn’t had the wolf out in public since he had been a toddler. Speaking of the stuffed animal…
The neko motioned toward the staircase, Margaret nodding before turning to Richard. Jason could hear them discussing the man’s job again as he crept carefully up the stairs. Crossing to his room, Jason opened the door, face splitting into a huge smile as he saw Elroy safely tucked under the comforter on his bed. He hurried into the room, collapsing on the bed so he could cuddle with the stuffed animal. The stress of the hospital slowly faded away, and Jason was finally free to enjoy life.

DEVYN

The room was a mess of warring smells that the wolf had to wade through, herbs mixed with spices that burned at his nose. Devyn grimaced slightly as he headed toward a station. Dylan was already wiping it down, the neko’s tail flicking in annoyance.
“So, some elf decided to try boiling an egg in the microwave,” Dylan grunted through his mask, shoving a plate back into the microwave in question. “He didn’t even have the courtesy to clean it up.”
Devyn scowled, setting his cane against the counter. Grabbing a wet rag, the werewolf began scrubbing a spot of egg, his hackles raised. His legs were sore after running Wolfbane Hill for the second time in two days, and the wolf was not in the mood to deal with a mess right now.
As the rest of the class joined them, the wolf tried to rein in his temper. Getting pissed wouldn’t help anyone.
“So what’s on the menu today?” he asked.
“Northern Neko,” Dylan replied, motioning toward a whiteboard. “I can work on the squid if you want to roll the rice up. An extra rice cake topped with a kelp wrap should be good enough to pass.”
The werewolf squinted at the board, barely able to read what he assumed were the instructions for the day. The colour was invisible to him, and there was no real contrast between the writing and the board it sat on, making it nearly impossible for him to understand.
“Squid rolls or salmon rolls, our choice,” Dylan read for his friend. “Fourth period got to make southern neko. Hence the pheasant egg all over the microwave. Do you want to take the rice while I start the squid?”
Devyn nodded, grabbing a small bag of rice as a man walked into the room. Jasper was one of the wolf’s favourite teachers, mainly because he wasn’t against Devyn making wolf treats to carry around with him. The werewolf hadn’t had the chance to make any yet this year, but he was looking forward to the savoury bits of homemade jerky he could shove in his clothes. Especially if he could dehydrate some of the squid they were using today.
An elf held up her hand, a grimace on her face as she stared at the raw fish in front of her.
“Sir, do we really have to use raw fish? It seems barbaric to eat like an animal,” she said, glancing at Dylan.
Devyn growled quietly, the neko nudging him gently.
“Ignore her.”
Jasper frowned, taking a deep breath.
“Well, if you feel that way, perhaps you would prefer to do a five-page report on the culinary customs of the nekos, single space with references, to open your mind. It is due on my desk before you leave tomorrow. Or, you can learn about other cultures with the rest of the class and stop being so ignorant as to call something you do not understand barbaric.”
Dylan let out a tiny snicker as he began cutting up a squid, cleaning it for use. Devyn shared in the neko’s amusement, though he tried to focus more on the food. Hearing someone call Dylan’s people barbaric was surprisingly upsetting for the wolf. Was it that his friend had been attacked? It must be; Devyn didn’t care enough about the racial tensions between some of the elves and the nekos for that to upset him.
“Now, if there are no other interruptions, why don’t we get started? The rice comes first. We want to make it nice and sticky so it will roll properly.”
Devyn was already a step ahead, his rice gently bubbling as the water boiled. A bowl of vinegar sat in front of the wolf, his head tilted to avoid the sharp fumes as he mixed salt and sugar into the vinegar. Grabbing a large bowl, Devyn drained the rice, pouring it into the mixing bowl before drizzling the vinegar over it. He began folding the rice in the bowl, ensuring every grain had an even coating of vinegar. All the while, the wolf kept one hand on a flat surface, holding himself up as he limped around.
Setting a square of seaweed onto a mat, the wolf spread the rice out over the square, Dylan setting a slice of squid along the length of the rice. The wolf sniffed out a bit of spice, his nose ensuring he added ginger instead of some other spice that would ruin the dish. Dylan rolled up the mat, unrolling it a moment later to reveal a tight seaweed wrap. Grabbing a knife, the neko sliced it up, offering a piece to Devyn to try.
Biting into the food, the wolf was rewarded with an eruption of sweet and tart juice, the meat inside a tender rubber that took just the right amount of work to pull apart. He swallowed, nodding at Dylan, and the neko smiled.
“I think we did pretty good,” Dylan said, setting the rest of the roll on a plate. “Do you want to do the rice cake? I’m not sure we have enough time for that.”
“No, let’s just clean up,” Devyn replied, setting the rice pot in the sink. “I want to go home early if I can.”
“Oh, I cut up an extra squid if you want to throw it in the dehydrator,” Dylan added.
Devyn smiled, grabbing the seafood. He carried it over to a dehydrator, setting up the machine. By the time he got to school the next day, the jerky would be finished, and he’d have some snacks. Naturally, he would have to skip first period to come to collect them. A real shame.
Dylan carried the plate up to Jasper as the werewolf returned to clean the rest of the station. The man nodded approvingly, motioning toward a box loaded with projects from other students throughout the day. The food would be delivered to the local homeless shelter, feeding those who couldn’t afford to feed themselves.
Finishing his work, Devyn grabbed his bag and his cane, joining Dylan by the door. The bell chimed, and the two eagerly left the room, Devyn looking forward to getting home and relaxing for a bit. Maybe Jason would play ball with him again, now that the neko was home. The wolf was certainly going to try to play.

The words have been coming rather quick lately. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story