Brothers - 23. Chapter 23

JASON

The neko woke up cold and alone, fresh from a dream about a god granting him a den below the earth, a feeling of enclosed safety washing over him. Jason heard the sounds of whispered prayer, an eye opening to find Dylan kneeling in a group of four lit votives of different colours.

“Lynestra of the Sun, elven goddess of the West, grant me your light that I might shine bright upon those around me today. Teach me to see the positive in life, and to help those around me through your touch.”

Turning carefully on his knees to face a blue votive, the calico took a deep breath, his fur puffing briefly as he turned his head. Jason’s eye snapped shut, and he heard another sigh.

“Tareth of the river, neko god of the north, open my heart to your love. Allow me to serve you with trust and love, that your soothing waters might know no end.”

Another quiet shuffle, Jason’s eyes cracking slightly as he tried to puzzle out the god’s name. He had never heard of any neko god before, let alone one who would be in charge of a cardinal direction. There were only three gods, and they had no bearing on direction, only sky, sun, and ground. He wasn’t a religious expert by any means, but Jason should have heard about a neko god long before now.

“Lumara of the Moon, wolf goddess of the east, gift my feet with your silver, to allow me to better spread your blessings. Bring peace to my family through your light, and let not your wolves feel the bite of your metal.”

Another quiet shuffle as Dylan stood in the center of his candles. The neko’s eyes were closed, his face toward a wall as he finished his prayers.

“Lords of Sky and Ground, hear my prayers in this morning as every other day. Lead me to peace, and guide my hand, heart, head and heels, that I might prosper in your names.”

Jason closed his eyes, mulling over the god Dylan invoked. It was going to bug him to no end until he figured out just who the god was. It sounded like a standard prayer, a blessing to start the day. He had heard them often enough in the orphanage, when Zasar’s priests would come to offer spiritual guidance. But the way Dylan spoke about this Tareth…

Priests of a specific god often spoke more highly of their patron than the other gods. They never failed to pay homage to all three gods, but there was certainly a favoured god. Dylan spoke as though he was a priest, or at least a priest in training. It made no sense to the neko. Why was he only just now finding out about this? Surely Devyn would know at least.

A series of soft breaths blew out the candles, the mixed scent of herbs filling the air. Jason couldn’t hold back a sneeze, and he heard Dylan scrambling for his candles at the sudden noise.

The game wasn’t up though. Jason curled up in the bed tiredly, wincing just slightly at a brief pain in his spine, and his tail thumped in annoyance at the spasm. He wouldn’t tell Lysander about it; the neko wasn’t missing yet another day of school.

“Jason?” Dylan breathed, peering over the other neko. “You awake?”

Jason let out a deep breath, rolling over as he tried to warm himself. Frowning up at Dylan, he lifted his head, looking around for Devyn.

“I’m sorry, I hope my prayers didn’t wake you. Devyn’s helping Papa with breakfast. Etul said you need to stay in bed until he can check on you. You should probably get in bed or he’ll get upset at you using Devyn’s bed,” Dylan chuckled almost nervously.

Jason nodded slowly, noticing the candles were hidden away again, though a compass still sat on the ground, its needle sitting toward the south. He reached out for the bed, using it to pull himself up with a silent groan, the neko’s tail thrashing as a muscle seemed to crackle in his back. It wasn’t painful so much as unnerving, and he wondered if it was the start of later issues.

A knock on the door interrupted them, Damian poking his head through the door.

“Hey, time to wake Jason- oh, you’re already up…”

He glanced at Dylan, the younger calico shaking his head at a silent question that seemed to pertain to Jason. For his part, Jason tried to look as innocent as possible, though if Dylan hadn’t wanted him to see what he saw, he wouldn’t have been doing it in front of him.

“Sander? Can you come check Jason out so he can get ready for school?” Damian called.

“I’m right here, you don’t have to yell Kali…” Lysander said as he entered the room, Jason flinching at the word.

“It’s a pet name,” Dylan sighed quietly. “Etul, I told you not to say that around Jason.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry Jason,” the elf said, stepping up to the bed. “Dylan, get ready for school. And make sure Devyn takes a shower.”

“He said something about waiting for Jason to save on hot water,” Dylan shrugged, grabbing a bag.

Lysander frowned briefly, but shrugged it off. He gently pressed Jason flat on the bed, rolling him over onto his belly. Pressing several spots along the neko’s spine, Lysander frowned as the neko winced suddenly.

Jason couldn’t help it, he’d been trying to hold still, and most of the run down his back even felt good. But that one spot just felt tender, and he couldn’t hold back the hiss of pain.

“Okay, I’m going to try to find the spot that hurts, because this wasn’t one of the original fractures,” Lysander said, setting his thumbs on the neko’s back. “Thumbs up if it’s good, down if it’s getting worse.”

Jason held up a thumb as Lysander began running his hands over the neko’s spine, a gentle pressure that sent a small shockwave of agony through the lower left of Jason’s back. The neko’s thumb wavered, dropping quickly as he pulled away, and Lysander frowned down at him.

“I think there’s still a little muscle damage, though it’s likely from overcompensating, not the original injury. But you seem pretty well healed, all things considered. As long as you are careful you should be fine to go to school,” the elf said, helping him stand up. “Devyn should be waiting in the shower I guess. And Jason… he’s still a werewolf, even if he is your brother. Be careful, okay?”

The neko nodded, hurrying out of the room.

DEVYN

The wolf was feeling pretty good, a rarity for him in this form. He had finally figured things out, or at least he hoped he had figured things out. Clothes lay scattered over the bathroom, Devyn leaning against a wall as he waited for Jason. He knew hot water was precious in the apartment, Dylan always complained about his fathers stealing all the hot water in the morning. The wolf was counting on having to share the shower with his brother this morning.

And sure enough, Jason pushed through the door carefully, the smell of lustful nerves spiking as the neko caught his breath. It wasn’t the first time they had been naked around each other, and Devyn doubted it would be the last.

He turned around, offering his butt innocently as he turned on the shower. There was no way Jason was going to do anything. Devyn knew this wouldn’t work that fast, but maybe if he could show Jason that he was willing, the neko would take the lead.

He heard the rustling of a bag behind him, turning his head with a frown as the neko grabbed at his pants. Jason paused suddenly, lifting the pants to his nose. He looked at Devyn incredulously, the wolf shrugging.

“I may have had an accident,” Devyn said. “But my clothes are still clean. You can wear them.”

Jason stared at him, a tinge of anger mixing with the smells in the air. The neko shook his head in disgust, shoving the urine stained pants back into the bag before grabbing one of the kilts on the floor. One of the heavily scented kilts.

So it wasn’t the best idea. But it was working. Jason had to wear Devyn’s scent, and there was no way the wolves around here would think he was fair game after that. Devyn wasn’t ready to claim the neko, not outright, but he was not about to see his brother be taken by some other wolf.

Though it did raise the question of what to do about Brienne. She wasn’t really a threat, at least not a serious one. It wasn’t like Devyn could tell her to stay away from Jason either; that would raise far too many questions. He let out a quiet sigh as he stepped into the shower, looking at Jason pointedly.

“Come on, it’s already cold,” he muttered, sitting in the back of the tub.

Jason frowned, but pulled off his bedclothes, shoving them into the bag. He stepped into the shower, shuddering at the nearly icy feel of the water as Devyn leaned back. The wolf stared openly at Jason. His brother was attracted to him, he knew it. And now Jason knew they could be mates. One of them would have to make a move eventually. Until then, Devyn was just going to get his fill of images to lick himself to later.

Jason turned nervously, his hands trying to cover his growing rod unsuccessfully. Devyn shook his head with a quiet laugh.

“I can smell you,” he mentioned.

The neko shuddered, reaching for the soap as he tried to speed things along. He glared at Devyn, handing the wolf the soap as soon as he was fully lathered. Devyn frowned at the bar before setting it aside, and Jason’s tail smacked the wall. The neko grabbed the bar, kneeling in front of Devyn before soaping him down almost furiously. The smell of lavender suds filled the bathroom, Devyn sneezing as he tried to pull away. This had been a horrible idea. He hadn’t expected Jason to try to steal his smell.

Closing his eyes with a growl against the assault, Devyn found himself pinned again by his brother, their bodies rubbing together as Jason scoured every inch of his torso, back, and legs with the soap, though the neko seemed to be avoiding Devyn’s throbbing rod. It was like adding insult to injury. Devyn was being cleaned of his smells and Jason wouldn’t even touch him properly.

A spray of frigid water washed over him, Devyn letting out a loud yelp. He scrambled out of the water, nearly sliding across the ground as he tried to escape the cold. Jason scowled at him with nozzle in hand, pointing back into the tub.

“No, it’s cold…” Devyn shuddered, shaking his head violently.

Jason rolled his eyes, setting the nozzle back in place before chasing his brother out of the tub. He grabbed Devyn’s hand, yanking him back into the tub. The neko wrapped his arms around Devyn, their crotches never touching, but it made no difference for the wolf. He could feel the nervous energy, smell the heat rising from Jason even through the soap.

The neko’s hands rubbed down his back, the icy water washing away the soap, but Devyn could endure this, as long as Jason was touching him. FInally, he was released, the wolf rushing out of the tub and grabbing a towel. He shook off before wrapping the towel around his body, sitting on the toilet to avoid losing his balance.

The shower shut off a moment later, Jason stepping out of the tub and straight into a towel, covering his lower half. Devyn scowled at his brother, wondering just how he had fucked this up so badly.

JASON

The car doors closed around Jason, locking him into the deathtrap as he tried to focus more on the kilt he was wearing. He couldn’t believe Devyn had pissed all over his pants. It was no accident, and he knew it. Now his tail was constrained by the kilt, his balance thrown off and a means of communication rendered useless by the skirt. For someone who was mute, the loss of his tail was going too far.

And the fact that the school was nearly three miles away, forcing him to sit in the back of a car while Jordan drove them, just made things that much worse. He was sure the wolf knew he was pissed off, that sense of smell had to smell his rage.

Even Jordan seemed uncomfortable, the car filled with a tense silence. Everyone knew what had happened, and Jason had no doubt the pants were stinking up Devyn’s bag. There was no way he was carrying his brother’s “accident” in his own bag.

“I said I was sorry,” Devyn muttered as the car pulled into the school.

Jason shook his head roughly. He was missing his phone still, and the neko found he was grateful he couldn’t yell at the wolf through the phone. There was no way he wouldn’t make things worse right now.

Stepping out of the car shakily, the neko closed the door a little hard, Dylan frowning at him. Jason’s ears folded, his fingers apologizing silently.

“Come on, Brienne is going to get a kick out of you wearing a kilt,” the calico said, pulling his mask on. “Try to look at the positive side.”

Jason shrugged, before shaking his head.

‘I’m going to talk with Dr. Marin. Can you let her know I’ll see her in second period?’

“Um… yeah, sure,” Dylan frowned. “Look, accidents happen Jason. We don’t have wolf doors and it’s hard for Devyn to walk upright. It’s not his fault.”

Jason scowled as he started walking, Devyn following him silently. The wolf tensed as he realised where they were heading, but the neko didn’t stop.

Opening the door to the WolfRoom, Jason was greeted by Marin, the werewolf sporting a large smile that slowly faded at the neko’s glare.

“Good morning Jason. I’m assuming you have a problem?”

The neko motioned angrily to the kilt, and Marin sighed, looking at Devyn.

“Okay. I can see you are angry Jason. We have a few minutes before first period, why don’t you take a seat? Blake is working on some tea, if you would like some. I find it can be very soothing.”

‘You need to help Devyn. He keeps trying to… do things,’ Jason signed, his hands conveying his anger.

“I see. And has Devyn explained why he is doing these things?” Marin frowned, looking at the wolf.

“I can’t explain it,” Devyn grunted, letting himself fall into a bed.

“Sure you can. You just don’t want to. And I can understand. It’s hard to admit for normal wolves.”

‘We are mates,’ Jason scowled. ‘That’s what the doctor said yesterday.’

“Doctor?” Marin questioned. “Is everything okay?”

‘No. I got pushed down stairs, I was paralyzed, and I have my brother trying to fuck me!’

Marin let out a quiet sigh, glancing at Blake.

“Look, you are clearly upset. It is understandable,” he said carefully, looking back at Jason. “I… do not know what happened yesterday, but I hope you are okay at least physically. Devyn should have told you what was happening before doing anything.”

“It was hard to talk to him,” Devyn frowned at Jason. “But you seemed happy about it last night-”

Marin cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the wolf.

“Okay. I want to remind both of you that this discussion needs to remain clean. Devyn, if you were interested in Jason, you needed to talk to him about it. Jason… learning about your mate at the doctor is not ideal, I know. By law, you are allowed to deny the mate bond. But I would urge you to look up King Paelias and his consort. It might clarify a few things before you make any firm decision. And there is nothing saying you have to leap into any of this. Devyn, you should give Jason time to figure out his feelings. I know it is hard, but you need to let your wolf know he is not in control-”

“I am my wolf,” Devyn growled quietly.

“Then you need to act like it. You are in control, not your lycanthropy. As hard as it is, you need to be patient. And if Jason decides he wants nothing to do with lycanthropy, you need to accept that.”

‘I want nothing to do with fucking my brother!’

“Jason, language. I don’t care if you’re signing, you will not speak around Blake like that,” Marin frowned. “Devyn is still your mate, the lycanthropy is pushing you together. I understand you are angry right now-”

‘He urinated on my pants this morning to try to get me in this kilt.’

Marin’s eyebrow raised, the man looking at Devyn.

“Did you sabotage Jason’s clothes so he would wear your scent?”

Devyn scowled, staring at the floor.

“Yes,” he muttered.

“That was wrong Devyn. Either make a claim, or let Jason live on his own. You can’t have it both ways.”

“I can’t claim him, he’s my brother!” Devyn snapped. “My parents would lose their minds!”

“Then forfeit your claim, and let Jason live free from it.”

The door opened, a pair of girls walking through the door, and Marin nodded a greeting to them.

“I apologise, I can’t help you more right now. Jason, you are welcome to stay as long as you need-”

‘I’m not staying around a bunch of wolves that want my tail,’ Jason signed furiously, storming out the door.

The door closed with a slow hiss, the neko looking around near desperately for a place to take a breath. He couldn’t believe Marin wanted him to be with his brother. This was the same man that spoke of how stupid the Mate Laws were, had told him that the disease shouldn’t be spread. And now he wanted Jason to catch a disease from his own brother. It was insanity and Jason wanted nothing to do with it.

The problem was his body refused to listen to reason. He wanted to fuck his brother, against everything society told him. And he had no idea how to deal with this on his own, but he knew he could not go through with it.