Brothers - 22. Chapter 22

DEVYN

A knock on the door startled Devyn, the wolf tearing his eyes away from his brother’s back. It didn’t even look bruised, but he knew it was causing the neko a lot of pain.

Opening the door, Devyn looked at the neko on the other side, Damian holding out a bag of clothes.

“Hey, your father brought these by,” he said. “Oh, and I know you just showered, but Lysander mentioned Jason might feel better in the pool down at the gym. He’ll need someone watching him of course, but the water is supposed to help his back.”

The shower suddenly cut off, Jason struggling to stand up as he reached for a towel. Devyn scowled at him, and the neko sat back down slowly, sighing quietly.

“I’ll see if there’s a guard on duty,” the wolf shrugged.

“There’s also… er… Ryan just told us your mother lost her pack privileges,” Damian added, his ears flicking in a confusion of emotions. “I never heard of them ever kicking anyone out.”

Devyn heard Jason’s tail slap against the tub, and the wolf frowned at his brother, trying to figure out why he was so upset. It was about time his mother got what was coming to her.

Shrugging, he closed the door, turning to grab a towel. He helped Jason up, wrapping the fabric around him to soak up at least some of the water dripping down his brother’s body.

The door opened again, a pair of shorts shoved through the opening before it was closed again. With the wheelchair in the way, Devyn could barely move in the room and he was starting to feel a little trapped.

He frowned at the pants in the bag, wondering just how he was supposed to put them on an injured neko. Shaking his head, the wolf grabbed the fresh kilt from the bag, sliding it up Jason’s legs instead. The neko made a silent protest, one Devyn ignored as his hands gently set the waistband over his brother’s wriggling tail. This close, the smell of Jason was near intoxicating, and Devyn had the feeling that if he hadn’t just showered, the neko’s scent alone would drive him insane. It was a scary thought, and the wolf tried not to think about how close he could have been to doing something they’d both regret.

Setting the towel aside as he helped Jason sit in the chair, Devyn snorted quietly as the neko’s uncertainty over how to move his legs. It wasn’t like anyone was going to look up the kilt. If they tried, the wolf would handle them.

Finally, Jason settled for tucking his heels back, hands plastered in his lap to keep the fabric down so no one could see Devyn hadn’t put underpants on him.

As the wolf pushed his brother out of the bathroom, he heard Dylan sigh quietly.

“Devyn… he can’t go swimming in a skirt. Come on Jason, I’ll fix this,” the neko grumbled, grabbing the shorts from the bathroom.

He took the wheelchair from Devyn, pushing it back toward the bedrooms, and Devyn followed with a small scowl. He liked Jason wearing his clothes, sharing his scent. It would be safer for the neko to bear his smell around here.

Dylan helped Jason onto the floor, the nekos staring at each other in silent conversation before Jason let himself relax. Pulling the kilt off him carefully, Dylan replaced the fabric with the shorts, the smell of nervous adrenaline pouring from them both. Devyn couldn’t smell anything other than awkward nerves though. Dylan didn’t seem interested in his brother like that, and Devyn let out a silent huff, not sure why he felt so happy about that.

“Etul said he’d go with you, and Aunt Arisa said she wouldn’t mind a swim,” the neko said, helping Jason back up. “I’m sure Etul will be giving you all sorts of orders, like to take things easy and to not overexert yourself.”

Jason’s hands moved, Dylan instantly shaking his head.

“Look, I’m sorry, but I value my tail and if Etul found out I let you walk…” he shuddered.

Sighing, Jason slumped in his chair, scowling at his lap as he was pushed out of the room. Devyn followed close on his tail, the wolf already planning on shifting when he reached the gym. He had been in this form for far too long today.

“...need to know they’re safe!”

“It’s not your decision to make,” Lysander scowled.

“Come on, after today, there’s no chance Richard can keep them,” Jordan hissed, the man’s voice carrying clearly down the hall.

“It’s not his fault Margaret was playing innocent for the social workers. I’ve seen people like him; it’s near impossible for them to speak up without intervention. Do you remember meeting my mom? Honestly, we should be happy things didn’t go that far.”

The elf frowned as Dylan wheeled Jason into the room, the calico shooting a look at Jordan.

“Hey Jason, I thought we should go for a swim before bed. The pool in the gym is heated; it should feel good on your back.”

“We could hear you arguing,” Devyn frowned, looking at the elf. “Dad didn’t hurt Jason. Why can’t we stay with him?”

“Don’t worry Devyn, we’re doing our best to make sure you and Jason are safe,” Lysander reassured him.

“But we are safe with Dad. Mom hurt Jason, not Dad,” the wolf insisted.

“We know, but Richard still let it happen,” Jordan said.

“Jordan, just stop, okay? I know what I’m doing. I have friends working on this, everything is fine,” Lysander sighed, taking Jason’s chair from Dylan. “Come on you three, Arisa’s already waiting with Claire. Let’s just try not to think about it for now, okay?”

That was easier said than done, but Devyn hoped it would be easier not to focus on human problems when he was finally able to shift.

JASON

The wolf paced restlessly beside the pool, eyes staring at Jason as the neko floated on his back. Jason didn’t know why Devyn was watching him so closely. He wasn’t about to drown, not after years of swimming and Lysander keeping an eye on him in the shallow end of the pool.

The water felt amazing on his back, and Jason wondered if he could come back here to swim after his back was fully healed. He had already asked Alistair about the pool at school, the man telling him that it was closed until swimming season started in Lenceurner, nearly two months away. There would be a lot of conflicting schedules in Jason’s future, but it was something he handled every year. He didn’t see why this year would be that different.

Well, as long as he didn’t get knocked down another flight of stairs, but Jason already had a plan for that. He was just never going to set foot on a staircase again. Immature? Yes. Unrealistic? Definitely. But he was adamant about this. The gods help anyone who tried to get him near one of those deathtraps again.

Taking a deep breath, Jason rolled over, letting the water support his back as he slowly sank the three feet to the bottom of the pool. Sitting upright, the neko closed his eyes against the chlorine in the water, letting the gentle push of the waves rock his body. He needed to shave at some point. Saving it all for the swim season just made removing the layer of fur painful. It felt like a curse, to be one of the nekos born with a fur coat over much of his body. He’d always been good about keeping it clear, but over the last week, he hadn’t exactly had the chance to get a razor.

The biggest issue was his tail. Everyone expected him to shave that too, but there was no way the neko would do that. No self respecting neko would ever be caught with a shaved tail. And while it probably did slow him some in the water, he could push past it. The weight of his tail would slow him regardless of it being shaved or not. With his body, it was more a matter of feel; smooth skin made him feel faster, gave him that little boost of confidence. A shaved tail would only ruin that confidence. It was a strange balance, but it worked for him.

Lungs beginning to burn, the neko pushed up, more standing than swimming as he broke the surface of the water. Stepping deeper into the warmth of the pool, Jason fought the drag of the water until it was chest deep. Starting to pace slow lines along the width of the pool, he saw Lysander watching him closely, the elf giving an approving smile.

It really was like a strained muscle. He’d had those plenty of times before, and walking in water always seemed to help work them out.

A sudden splash startled him, the neko turning toward the edge of the pool. Devyn was paddling out toward him, the wolf’s legs working furiously as he tried to stay afloat. Shaking his head, Jason pushed toward him, a slow stroke still bringing him quickly to his brother’s side. Sliding his hands under the wolf, Jason flinched as he brushed over Devyn’s sheath, adjusting his hands so they sat under the wolf’s belly instead. He slowly walked Devyn to the side of the pool, giving the wolf a small scowl. If he didn’t know how to swim, Devyn had no business trying to keep up with him, even in the four foot zone.

“Come on Devyn, he’s fine!” Dylan called over from his seat in the shallows. “You’re just going to get you both in trouble!”

Devyn grumbled as he crawled out of the water, walking over to Dylan before shaking roughly. The neko spluttered as he was sprayed with water, ducking down low in the pool to try to avoid the assault. Jason laughed at them, shaking his head as he swam back toward the shallow end of the pool. Kicking his legs up again, the neko let out a sigh as he started floating again.

“How are you feeling Jason?” Lysander asked.

Jason twisted his back cautiously, wincing as his spine pinched slightly. He held up a hand, waving it slightly as he straightened out.

“Well it’s almost time for bed. I think we should get out and dry off,” the elf decided, Dylan groaning nearby.

“Come on Etul, a few more minutes. Please?”

“No, you have school in the morning,” Lysander said. “Come on, out of the pool.”

Rolling to his feet, Jason walked out of the pool, tensing slightly as he prepared for a wave of pain in his back. When it didn’t come, the neko let out a grateful breath, carefully kneeling to grab a towel. He dried off quickly, frowning as Lysander motioned to the chair.

“It’s better not to overdo it,” Lysander pointed out. “We’ll see how you feel in the morning. If your back is feeling better by then, you can ditch the chair. Deal?”

Sighing silently, Jason nodded, sitting back in the chair. He began wheeling himself toward the door, Devyn darting ahead of him in wolf form.

“Devyn, you better dry off before you try getting in my bed!” Dylan called, racing after the wolf with a towel.

Jason couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him, not that anyone could hear it. He wondered briefly, what if he took Jerric up on his offer, took the opportunity to get his voice back? It came with a terrible price, but like Lysander said, if Jerric wasn’t prepared to pay it, he wouldn’t have offered, would he? He wasn’t ready to take that step though, and the neko sighed silently, following the werewolves out of the gym with his tail tucked safely in his lap.

DEVYN

The wolf curled up in the large bed, inhaling the familiarly strange scents of Lysander and Damian in their wolf forms, mixed with the stronger smell of a lavender soap. It was a nice gesture to let him sleep in their bed for the night, but he wasn’t sure how much sleep he’d get with the smell of their lovemaking all over the bedding.

He doubted they realized he could still smell it, but a single wash was not enough to take away the scent of horny wolves. Devyn wasn’t surprised that Jordan’s smell was absent. The man hated his wolf, and having sex in his wolf form would not make him any happier.

Of course, that thought made Devyn think of Jason. Specifically of the neko’s hand on his sheath in the pool, and of the two nekos laying in bed together. Their bodies were probably close to touching, Jason liked to cuddle…

He growled quietly, standing up. Making his way to the narrow bed, the wolf jumped onto the mattress, the two nekos startling as his large body bounced the bed.

“Devyn what the fuck are you doing?” Dylan grumbled.

Devyn pushed his way between the two, nearly knocking them both off the bed as he plopped down in the gap he had made.

“Ugh…” Dylan spluttered, his face filled with wolf fur. “Come on Devyn, you don’t fit up here!”

Behind the wolf, he could feel Jason rolling out of the bed, the neko grabbing at his brother’s fur. Devyn whimpered quietly as he was pulled off the bed, Jason pushing him back toward the wolf bed. The neko sat with a thump, trying to find a comfortable spot in the bed, as Dylan watched with a frown.

“Etul isn’t going to like it if you sleep down there Jason,” he warned.

Jason signed back, the complexities of his motions lost on Devyn as the wolf curled up around him.

“Oh… Fine. If you’re okay with it,” Dylan said uncertainly.

Devyn didn’t know why he wouldn’t be, the bed was comfortable even with the smells running through the fabric. It was missing a blanket, but the wolf didn’t mind at all, especially if Jason was joining him. He would just use the neko as a blanket, their bodies keeping each other warm.

A leg wrapped over his body, Jason curling up carefully in the bed. Devyn was agonizingly aware of his brother’s crotch pressing against the base of his tail, his body vibrating with the desire to turn, taste… but he couldn’t do that. As much as he wanted to take his mate, it wouldn’t be right. His wolf mind fought with the lessons of his mother, complaints on morality and decency, and another growl slipped from his lips, Jason staring at him in concern. The leg was removed, and Devyn whimpered, trying to bring it back, return the comforting weight.

A tail fell across his face as Jason turned, the neko searching for something. Turning back with a frown, the wolf’s brother let out a huff of air, a hand pressing over Devyn’s thigh gently. The wolf bent slightly, licking the hand, and Jason pulled it away before carefully replacing it with his leg. Devyn continued his licking, satisfied for the moment.

“Devyn, don’t lick yourself in my room,” Dylan grumbled.

Snorting quietly, the wolf layed back down, his head curling into his chest as his tail thumped against Jason’s thigh. He could feel the neko’s crotch rubbing against him, Jason adjusting himself with a smell of nervous fear as his rod grew between them. Devyn didn’t care. His brother was cuddling with him, that’s all that mattered.

It wasn’t long before a loud snore filled the air, Devyn’s ears twitching as he listened to Dylan nearly shake the room with his breathing. He felt Jason press against him as the neko’s head rose, a soft breath of air escaping the neko as he realised who was snoring. Jason shook slightly, a chuckle escaping him, but Devyn was too busy feeling what was between his brother’s legs, fighting the urge to lift his tail. He’d never felt like this before, never had the urge to have someone breed him, and it worried him. Was he losing his mind? Was the human coming back again? No, he couldn’t have that, he couldn’t be human after so many years as a wolf.

And yet he couldn’t help the nerves that washed through him, that silent hope that Jason would make a move, would let Devyn be blameless in all of this. If he tried to mate his brother, he was a wild wolf, a beast and a menace. But if Jason took him first…

Maybe he could convince Jason to do it somehow. No… that’s what his mother would do, trick someone into behaving the way she wanted. He couldn’t do that to Jason. But he felt restless, horny, and there was no release in sight.

He was stuck, and there was no way out unless he talked to Jason. But there was no talking here, not when they couldn’t understand each other. And with a sigh, Devyn settled in for a long night.