Brothers - 19. Chapter 19

JASON

“I need to head back to the shop and help Damian,” Jordan said as they approached the apartment. “Dylan, I think there are a few sandwiches left from Ordya if you want a snack.”

“Didn’t Etul take those with him?” Dylan asked.

“Not all of them,” Jordan frowned. “If there aren’t any, we should still have a few biscuits, but they might be stale.”

“I can probably throw something together. You two up for a bit of cooking?” Dylan asked, glancing at Jason and Devyn.

Jason nodded, always up for a new experience.

“Sander should be home any minute,” Jordan added, unlocking the door to the apartment. “Or he’s here already…”

“Oh, hey Jordan,” the dark elf smiled, standing up from a couch as they entered. “And Jason… Devyn… Dylan… why aren’t you three in school?”

He crossed the room, planting a tender kiss on Jordan’s lips. The man let out a low growl, startling Jason, and Lysander smacked his butt lightly.

“None of that or you won’t get any later,” the elf grinned.

“Yeah come on Father, I have friends over,” Dylan muttered, pushing past them into the kitchen. “Hey Devyn, wanna get some sausage out of the fridge? We can make some pasta for lunch.”

The wolf followed him into the kitchen, grabbing a box of noodles from a pantry. The two started working around each other, Jason surprised by how smoothly they flowed. Water boiled fast, a skillet sizzling before the neko knew it.

“Those two work great together,” Lysander smiled. “Oh, Dylan said you had some questions for me Jason? Something for a project?”

“I need to head back to work,” Jordan added. “I’ll see you tonight Sander.”

He left the apartment, the door closing firmly behind him, and Lysander motioned toward the couch.

“So what’s up Jason? Why are you all here?”

‘The Elfslayer,’ the neko signed, sinking into the large couch. ‘She’s out and I guess the elves at school are upset about it.’

“Oh shit,” Lysander frowned. “I can just hear my phone calling me back into work. Is everyone okay?”

‘Yeah,’ Jason replied with a shrug. ‘I’m not sure about Dylan, but he hasn’t said anything.’

The elf turned on the TV, a picture of an alien turning into a newscaster as he flipped the channel.

“Sorry, Jordan likes to watch Alien Hunters. He thinks it’s hilarious that people actually believe in them,” Lysander shrugged.

‘Why not? We have people who can turn into werewolves and werewolves who can cure cancer. Why not aliens?’ Jason signed.

“That’s a rare gift though, and honestly, it takes a lot out of people. Most healers I know say it makes them feel thin inside, like they’re giving their lives away,” Lysander frowned. “The energy to heal has to come from somewhere, right?”

Jason held up a hand, leaning toward the TV as a ginger furred neko walked down a set of stairs with her head held high. A striped tail flicked as she took in the cameras before walking toward a car. It drove off with her in the back, Jason letting out a quiet sigh.

So that was the neko who had murdered nearly every councilor serving under the former Queen. It amazed him to think anyone could be capable of such a thing. She seemed so… normal. Almost proud. Fifty years old, and she had gotten away with confessed murder, and possibly regicide, if the rumours were to be believed. And yet looking at her, it was easy to see the elven blood in her. This was not a crime born of racism. It made no sense to Jason. Why had she done it? And more importantly, how could the king let her go free?

“That is a neko who is proud of what she did and would do it again in a heartbeat.” Lysander shuddered.

Faces came on the screen, each one a lord, each one murdered by the Elfslayer. Neirin, former lord of Sarelin, Riardin, former lord of Ythin, Vincent, advisor to the queen… each one a life cut short, an elf crossing the river long before their time. Everyone knew Queen Erin had died under mysterious circumstances. It wasn’t hard to speculate that this neko who had worked in the kitchens was to blame. But evidence was nearly impossible to come by, and it remained speculation, a murder that no one could prove happened.

Jason wasn’t sure what to think. It had all happened nearly fifteen years ago, when King Finley first came to power. It wasn’t like the neko remembered any of it. It was just one of those things people talked about, a year of terror for elves, when it became obvious even the highest among them couldn’t escape death.

Historically, it was rare for a ruler to die on the throne. They generally ruled for twenty five years before stepping down for their heir. But it seemed to much of Astara that Finley hadn’t wanted to wait for the elven queen to step down. And looking at Miranda going free, Jason was starting to think they were right. King Finley had found a way to get rid of his mother for the throne.

“I want to believe she had a reason,” Lysander sighed. “But honestly, it was senseless. And the fact that they found the lords’ heads stuck on pikes in her basement… She is a deeply disturbed neko. I hope she got help in prison, if nothing else.”

‘But it was only the elven lords,’ Jason pointed out. ‘Wouldn’t that imply that she had a vendetta against elves?’

“Queen Erin surrounded herself with elves. She was rather reclusive as a ruler and liked to be around her own people. Simply put, there really weren’t any neko or human lords for Miranda to murder,” Lysander explained. “The only time I can remember her being in public was when she adopted King Finley, and even that was largely done through one of the lords, Vincent, I believe. The king must have had a very sad childhood, even as a prince. But that doesn’t excuse any of this.”

‘Was it all for power then? Or was this revenge on them for something?’ Jason frowned.

“She refused to say, no matter how many times people asked. Vincent and Riardin were only found after Queen Erin’s funeral. By all accounts, they were closest to Miranda; Riardin even said he had a relationship with her at one point.”

‘I’m going to have a lot of research to do tonight,’ Jason sighed.

Not that he minded. Researching new things was one of the more fun parts of school. Even if this wasn’t for school.

‘Do you know anything about funeral rites for your people?’ he added, hoping to get at least some information.

Though at this point he wasn’t sure he needed the information. After what he’d gone through today, Jason doubted he’d be going back to Carla’s class.

“I’m a paramedic Jason. It doesn’t always go well,” Lysander said ruefully. “What do you need to know?”

DEVYN

They sat around the living room, Devyn wolfing down his pasta eagerly. It seemed like forever since he had eaten breakfast, and the goat sausage filled his stomach nicely.

There was a sudden howl, the nekos flinching at the sound, and Devyn groaned, leaning toward his bag. He pulled out his phone, Dylan frowning at him.

“Dude, didn’t you change that months ago?”

“Forgot,” Devyn shrugged, before answering the phone.

“Devyn Farin, where the fuck are you?!” Margaret snapped through the phone. “Your father and I have been searching the city for you. Doctor Marin called and said he sent you home early.”

“Pack house,” the wolf muttered.

“Gods have mercy, do you even understand what grounded means young man? We’ll be there in ten minutes to pick you up.”

The phone went dead and Devyn sighed, slipping it back into his bag.

“How bad is it?” Dylan asked.

The wolf shrugged, poking at the remnants of his lunch.

“She’ll yell, I’ll nod and probably forget by tomorrow,” he grunted. “They all start to blur together. I don’t remember what I did to piss her off, just that she’s angry again. I just hope she leaves Jason out of it.”

A shoulder leaned into him, warm cinnamon and lavender washing over him, and Devyn sniffed silently, enjoying the smell. His head turned slightly toward Jason, the neko’s hand offering a soothing comfort pressed into his thigh. The wolf let out a soft breath, leaning toward his brother. He froze barely an inch from Jason, before pulling back slowly.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Jason nodded, seeming not to notice their closeness. His hands signed, Dylan letting out a snort.

“Trust me, there’s no way, especially now. Don’t worry, I’ll keep her nice and warm for you,” the calico chuckled.

Devyn frowned, almost certain they were talking about Brienne. He liked the girl, but he wasn’t happy about her being with Jason. The neko was…

...not his, no matter what Marin said. He couldn’t give into his urges, his mother would kill him. But it was getting harder to control his urges. Even now his blood rushed to his groin, the scent around him driving him crazy. He wanted Jason, needed Jason, but he could control this. He had to, for his sake as well as Jason’s.

“...sure she’ll ask you tomorrow.”

The wolf blinked, realizing he had missed something between Dylan and Jason. He searched his memories, coming up blank, and Devyn let out a sigh. Hopefully it wasn’t too important.

“I don’t think any of us know how this is supposed to work,” Dylan frowned. “Hey Etul? How do you share a partner?”

“That’s both easy and difficult to answer. You need to make sure everyone is open and comfortable. Why, are you and Jason chasing after the same person?” Lysander asked.

“Yeah. She keeps saying things about how we should kiss, but Jason doesn’t want to do that.”

“Does that mean you do?” Devyn asked, fighting to keep the growl out of his voice.

Fuck, was he going to have to fight his best friend over his brother? He needed to get this under control.

“I’m… not opposed to it, but Jason already said it would be a bad idea, right?” the calico asked, looking at Jason.

The neko signed quickly, Devyn not even bothering to keep up with his hands. There was no way he could read them.

“Oh, yeah, you shouldn’t do that then. Sorry Dylan, but at least everyone’s communicating, right?” Lysander pointed out. “That’s the biggest advice I can give right there.”

Devyn let out a relieved breath, Jason looking at him with a small frown. The neko shook his head a moment later, apparently deciding against something. They both flinched at a sudden knock on the front door.

Reaching for his cane and his bag, Devyn stood up with a groan, Jason rising fluidly beside him. The wolf could see the neko’s muscles ripple under his shirt, and he remembered just how Jason could pin him down, get him to do things. He moaned quietly as his dick twitched, covering up the sound by clearing his throat.

The knock came again, louder and more urgent, and Dylan crossed to the door, steeling himself before opening it. Margaret stood on the other side, her eyes blazing as she sought out Jason and Devyn.

“H...hey Mrs. Farin,” the calico stammered, stepping back toward the safety of the couch.

“Good afternoon Margaret,” Lysander smiled, coming to his son’s rescue. “Can I get you some tea, or something a little stronger perhaps?”

Devyn sucked in a breath, almost positive the elf had just offered his mother a potion. He would have laughed, but to do that right now would probably make things so much worse. Margaret was a pissed off werewolf, and no one wanted to be in her path.

“No, thank you,” Margaret said icily. “I just came to get my sons.”

“Of course. They’re very well behaved,” Lysander said. “I helped Jason with his homework while Devyn helped Dylan with lunch.”

“I’m happy they behave for someone,” Margaret scoffed. “Devyn, Jason, get in the car.”

Devyn nudged Jason ahead of him, the neko flinching as he squeezed past their mother. The wolf followed his brother, guarding his back, making sure he stayed safe. No one was going to hurt Jason, not even their mother. He would not let them.

JASON

The car ride was fast, furious, and silent. Jason clutched his belt almost painfully, the speed at which Margaret drove nearly making him soil himself, but he didn’t dare try to get her to slow down.

A day of freedom had been nice while it lasted, but now he and Devyn had to pay the ferry, and Jason could tell the toll would be steep. He wondered if his things were already packed, or if Margaret was just going to take him back to the orphanage right now. Even Devyn was quiet, the wolf staring at his lap in thought.

The car slid into their driveway, Jason finally releasing the seatbelt as it came to a stop. He stepped out on shaky legs, leaning against the car as Devyn stood up. The wolf offered his cane, Jason shaking his head as he tried to recover from the ride. His stomach was a knotted mess of nerves, his body trembling as he straightened up slightly.

“Inside, both of you,” Margaret growled, motioning toward the front door.

Once again Devyn pushed Jason ahead, the neko feeling a little safer with his brother at his back. They passed into the house, the door closing with a loud slam that made Jason jump. Tail tucked between his legs, the neko ducked into the kitchen, putting his back to a wall as he grabbed a cup. His hands trembled as he filled it with water, his eyes scanning the room fearfully. Jason breathed out in relief as he realized Margaret hadn’t followed him.

Sipping at his water, Jason sank into a chair in the dining room. His head shot up at the sound of footsteps, Richard entering the room a moment later.

“I’m disappointed in you Jason,” the man said. “I know you can’t talk, but you can and will listen. Do you have any idea how worried Margaret and I were when you didn’t come home? We get a call from your teacher, telling us that there are people angry at you and that he sent you home, but you are nowhere to be found. There’s no text, no call from Devyn, nothing telling us you are safe.”

Every word drove a spike deeper into Jason’s heart, the neko sinking lower and lower in his seat.

“You should be ashamed,” Richard said. “I would expect this from Devyn; he has trouble remembering to brush his teeth every day. But you should know better than to let us worry like this. It isn’t even about you being grounded at this point. What if something had happened to you? There are a lot of angry elves in the streets right now, and any one of them could have hurt you. How do you think we’d feel if you had been hurt?”

‘I’m sorry,’ Jason signed, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference.

“I hope that was an apology,” Richard frowned. “I want you to go to your room. You are not to leave your room until dinner time, is that understood?”

Jason nodded quickly, gulping down the last of his water. He stood up, hurrying from the room to the stairs. He could hear Margaret yelling at Devyn, and his ears folded over as he hugged the wall. Climbing the stairs slowly, the neko froze at the top, Margaret blocking his path to his room. He waited silently, not daring to interrupt her.

Devyn was laying in the doorway to his own room, in wolf form, his clothes strewn all over his room. It seemed insane to think that the werewolf had undressed himself while being yelled at, but when Jason thought about it more, it definitely felt like something Devyn would do.

“I can’t believe you willfully ignored both me and your father! We told you you were grounded and you decided to wander off to the pack house instead of coming straight home! You are in so much trouble I don’t even know where to start!”

Devyn’s ears were folded over, the wolf looking like he was trying to muffle the yelling. Jason didn’t blame him; Margaret was loud. The neko’s tail twitched, hitting the wall with a thump, and Margaret spun around, the werewolf’s glare turned on him.

“And you! What in the world possessed you to go wandering off at a time like this?! Why didn’t you tell Devyn to come home?! No, you just let him do his own thing! I am so sick and tired of you two disobeying me!”

Jason flinched at every word, back against the wall, nowhere to escape to. He just wanted to get to his room, to put this all behind him, but the neko knew he had to take this punishment.

His eyes flickered at the sight of Devyn retreating into his own room, and the neko felt a tiny bit of relief. At least the wolf was out of the fire for now.

Suddenly he felt a sharp slap across his face, the neko lurching to the side from the blow. His feet stumbled, trying to find solid ground only to be met with the stairs, and Jason fell.

Body twisting in the air, his instincts tried to find the ground, to roll him so he could land on his feet. A sharp pain hit his hand as he grabbed for something, anything to stop his fall, a silent scream leaving him as he tumbled down the stairs. There was a blinding agony in his lip as his chin collided with a step, teeth bursting through his skin, and Jason curled up as he finally landed on the ground, his body broken and bruised and his mind shutting down from the pain.