Brothers - 41. Chapter 41

JASON

Rellanic words filtered through his head, small feet kicking the back of the seat in front of him. His gut twisted as the dream flooded his mind again, and Jason tried to squeeze his eyes shut.

It didn’t work.

“Jason, get your feet off the seat.”

Part of him yearned for that sentence, the words of a mother who cared, who loved him. He could barely remember that in the waking world. Why was a nightmare the only time he felt the love of a parent?

And as the car fell off the cliff, plummeting through the air, the neko prayed for the chance to go back, to hear his mother again, even if he knew he could never have that in real life.

Fire erupted around him, the car turning into the burning CeCe’s, and the neko whimpered, the vocalization lost in the scar tissue in his throat. A flight of stairs appeared before him, a slap knocking him down into a pit of raging flames as a dog barked.

And suddenly he was awake again, curling up in the cold dark of Erith’s basement. There was a dog barking, no, a wolf barking, and Jason felt a surge of gratitude to the sharp sound that had awoken him.

The neko slid off of the bed, nearly knocking his head on the low ceiling of the cage. Mouthing a curse as he glared up, Jason slipped his shoes on, listening to a scrabbling sound from the small window high in the corner of the basement. Moving carefully through the dark room, he leaned up against the basement wall, trying to look out the window.

A black nose smashed against the glass, Jason letting out a silent yelp as he stumbled back. Devyn’s face peered down at him, the wolf’s eyes filled with worry and fear. The neko shook his head in disbelief, making a shooing motion with his hand before heading toward the stairs.

Images of the dream came back to him, that falling sensation, the agony blooming across his arms, legs, and torso as he bounced down the stairs. Jason gritted his teeth, his hand tightening around the bannister in a death grip. Slowly the neko forced himself up the stairs. He was over this, he had forced himself to handle stairs again. Why was this fear returning yet again?

Reaching the top, Jason took a deep breath before emerging from the basement. A light was on in the hall, Erith standing bare chested in the entrance rubbing his eyes.

“Did you hear a wolf barking?”

‘Devyn,’ Jason signed. ‘I have no idea what he's doing here.’

The elf sighed quietly, and turned back down the hall. He returned a moment later, pulling a shirt over his head. Opening the door, Erith was nearly bowled over by a large red wolf.

“Devyn!”

Jason had a split second to register Richard’s voice before he was slammed against the ground by his brother. A tongue ran all over his face, hot wolf breath washing over him, and the neko spluttered, trying to push Devyn off of him so he could get up. But the wolf was not moving.

“I’m so sorry, he doesn’t usually barge into people’s homes-”

“It’s fine. I figured he’d show up eventually when Jason got here,” Erith said by the door.

Finally Jason wriggled out from under Devyn, wiping the slobber off his face. The wolf danced around, legs stretching out as he bowed playfully. A hand scratched his head gently, and Devyn let out a soft moan, adjusting his head to move Jason’s hand to the best spot.

“Jason.”

The neko looked up at Richard, ears flicking nervously. Richard was back early, and he did not look happy. Jason couldn’t blame him.

“Margaret told me you don’t want to live with me and Devyn anymore.”

His head was already shaking. That wasn’t true; he wanted to stay with Devyn. But there was no way Jason could live with Margaret.

“I want you to come back to the house. Staying with… someone I hope is a friend… is not safe. If you truly feel like you don’t belong with us, I’ll make arrangements to have you taken care of,” Richard continued. “But running away because you don’t like something is not the way to solve problems.”

Jason wasn’t sure about that. It had definitely helped him not get thrown down the stairs again.

‘I’ll get my things,’ he signed, turning back to the stairs.

Devyn pushed past him, taking a step down the staircase and Erith let out a strangled cry as he darted forward. Jason beat the elf, hand grabbing Devyn and yanking the wolf back from the stairs. He scowled at the wolf, pointing to the ground, and Devyn let out a whimper as he sank into a sit.

Taking a deep breath, the neko grabbed the bannister and slowly descended into the dark room. The light flicked on a moment later, letting him pick his way through the basement much more easily. It was a matter of seconds to grab his back and stuff Elroy inside.

The climb back up the staircase was made with the same careful slowness, and Jason let out a grateful sigh as he escaped the deathtrap. He was safe, and Devyn hadn’t seen anything. Jason was certain even if he had, the wolf wouldn’t have said anything, even if he remembered, but he didn’t want to take that chance, and it was clear Erith didn’t either.

‘I’ll still take tomorrow to help you with the basement,’ he signed, looking at Erith.

“Yeah… thanks,” the elf said, staring at Devyn nervously.

The wolf was sniffling, his nose pointed toward the stairs, and Jason let out a short whistle, starting toward the door. Distracted by his brother, Devyn shot up and raced for the door.

“Jason, take this back,” Richard said as they stepped outside.

The neko flinched as cold rain fell over his head. His eyes glanced over at the phone in Richard’s hand, and he accepted it uncertainly.

“I still don’t know sign language, and you need to communicate somehow,” the man added. “Let’s get home. The last thing we need is to catch a cold in this weather.”

DEVYN

He raced around his brother happily as they walked through the rain. Everything had worked out. Devyn was a good boy. He had tracked Jason down and now they could be happy again.

And yet there was still a feeling of unease washing off the neko. Maybe it had something to do with the smell of cum from the basement. It was old, but that scent was overwhelming. A lot of sex happened down there, and the wolf wondered if that’s why Erith and Jason wouldn’t let him go down there. He could smell the lingering stench on Jason, but it wasn’t his smell, or Erith’s smell, and it certainly wasn’t fresh enough for anything to have happened.

It was a puzzle for another day. Tonight, he was just happy Jason was safe, and that was all that mattered.

The wolf splashed through a puddle, shaking himself off before prancing after his family. Maybe he needed to show them how happy he was. That’s what he did in the therapist office, especially for the younger people, and it always seemed to work.

“I’m not angry at you.”

The wolf’s ears pricked up at his father’s words, tongue stuck halfway out to catch the rain.

“I know I left you in a tough spot, and I’m proud of both of you for making it work as best as you could. This was never supposed to happen. I was scared after Lysander’s accident, and I couldn’t think of anyone else to watch you two.”

“I know how to look out for myself,” Jason’s phone said a minute later. “And Devyn’s just like a pet. It isn’t too hard to watch him.”

Devyn’s tail fell at the words, the wolf whimpering. Was that all he was? A pet? He thought his brother had accepted him as a mate. Why would Jason call him a pet?

His body ran along Jason’s leg, practically begging for the neko to tell him it wasn’t true, that Jason loved him like a mate. But the phone remained silent.

“With the elves going crazy… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can leave the two of you alone. Especially not when you run off to sleep at an elf’s house,” Richard said sternly.

“Erith is a friend. He’s been helping Devyn and I at school,” Jason replied. “I was safe with him.”

“That’s fine, but I do not know him. And until I’ve had a chance to meet him, I don’t really feel comfortable with either of you staying at his house,” Richard replied sternly.

The phone was silent. They approached their home, Devyn flinching at the rage he could smell on the other side of the door.

Stepping between his family and the door, the wolf leaned into his father, trying to push the man away. They could find somewhere else to sleep that night; they didn’t have to go inside.

“Devyn, move. We’re soaking wet and I don’t want Jason to get sick again,” Richard frowned at the wolf.

Jason’s hands nudged his brother aside and Richard opened the door. Another whimper escaped the wolf, but Devyn followed his family inside.

“Go wash off you two. I’ll make some tea to warm us up,” Richard said, heading toward the kitchen.

Devyn refused to leave his father, body hugging Richard’s legs as the man walked. Water dripped from his fur, leaving a trail from the door to the kitchen, where Margaret stood with a knife.

“Margaret?!”

“I’m not leaving. You can’t make me leave,” the werewolf snarled, holding the knife over her arm.

Devyn was pushed aside as Jason moved past them. The neko turned toward Richard, pointing toward his ear as his feet carried him toward Margaret.

“Get away from me! You destroyed this family! We never should have brought you here!”

Devyn snarled at the words, taking a step toward his mother. She couldn’t talk to Jason like that. He wouldn’t let her.

The neko’s hand snaked out suddenly, grabbing Margaret’s wrist as the knife slid across the werewolf’s flesh. The smell of blood filled the room as Jason’s other hand wrapped over Margaret’s grip. A brief struggle followed, the neko holding the werewolf’s hand in place as he pried her fingers loose, until the knife clattered on the floor.

Devyn could hear Richard talking frantically into a phone, but the wolf’s attention was on his brother. He darted forward, grabbing the knife’s handle. There wasn’t any blood on the serrated blade, and he tried to figure out where the smell was coming from. It wasn’t a lot of blood, but the smell was there, and his frayed nerves were building it up, focusing on the coppery scent.

Margaret fell to the ground with Jason over her, the neko holding the woman in place with a grip Devyn was all too familiar with. What was he doing? Trying to wash her? The wolf didn’t think that was going to help. But it was keeping her on the ground, and Devyn was grateful for that.

He had no idea how much time passed in silence, Richard’s voice still talking on the phone. Suddenly, the door was opened, a trio of elves hurrying into the house.

“She tried to kill herself. I can’t keep her down, but I think Jason has her,” Richard said urgently as they moved into the kitchen.

“Okay, we’ll handle this,” one of the elves said quietly.

“Margaret, we need you to come with us,” another elf said, reaching to help the woman up.

Jason scrambled off of her, keeping his body between Margaret and the knives on the counter. Devyn could smell the fear and anxiety coursing through his brother, and the wolf stepped against the neko, dropping the knife he still held in his mouth as his mother was taken from the room.

JASON

The neko sank onto the couch, his entire body tense and trembling. Everything felt tight, like the slightest touch would snap him in half.

She was faking it. Jason could almost guarantee it. How long had she been left alone in the house, free to do whatever she wanted? The whole thing had been staged to make Richard let her stay. And the neko felt the cold grip of absolute hatred squeezing over his heart.

It was despicable, resorting to… that… to manipulate people. There was nothing Margaret could do in his mind that would ever redeem her. That ship had sailed when she’d knocked him down the stairs, and every day since had only succeeded in pushing it further and further away.

The couch shifted as Devyn jumped up beside his brother. Wet wolf covered the neko, a hand reaching down automatically to stroke Devyn’s back.

“Devyn, off the couch…” Richard said tiredly. “You two go take a shower. I’m going to make some dinner and then we’re going to bed. I’m sure this will look better in the morning.”

A silent snort escaped Jason as he stood up. Devyn dropped to the floor, following the neko as he grabbed his bag.

The stairs provided a distraction, the two slowly climbing the mountain that instilled so much fear even after all this time. Reaching the landing, Jason set a hand on Devyn, taking a moment to calm himself before making his way to his room. The bag dropped beside the bed, to be unpacked later, but Elroy came out to sit on Jason’s bed, the neko’s silent guardian.

Devyn remained by his side as he entered the bathroom, the first time the wolf had willingly joined him in the room. Jason wondered if his brother actually understood that they were supposed to shower.

As the water turned on, the neko got his answer. Devyn whimpered and lay down on the floor, licking his lips nervously. Jason sighed silently, stripping off his clothes. Leaning to adjust the water properly, he winced at a sudden snort, hot air blowing over his tail hole. Instinctively, Jason’s tail tucked between his cheeks, nearly smacking Devyn’s face. It was definitely not the right time for them to be fucking around in the shower.

Stepping into the shower, Jason let himself sink, sitting under the hot spray. It was almost like a hug, warmth wrapping around him. All he ever wanted was to be a part of a happy family. Yet it seemed that was too much for him to ask.

A soft whimper startled Jason and he looked over at Devyn. The wolf paced beside the tub, eyes travelling between the water and the neko. Jason sighed quietly and scooted back, patting his bare lap. An instant later, Devyn had jumped into the tub, claws scrabbling for purchase on the smooth ceramic. Jason winced as a claw ran down his leg.

Hands pushed Devyn down, the wolf sitting abruptly in Jason’s lap. Devyn’s tail was wriggling between their legs, ruddering over Jason’s length, and a silent hiss escaped the neko as his body reacted.

Jason’s eyes rolled as he reached for the wolf shampoo. He was getting better at that. Maybe the next time he saw Margaret, he would show her what an eye roll really looked like.

A leg thumped as he worked Devyn over. It seemed like a decent compromise; scratching the wolf while Jason bathed him. If nothing else, it kept his brother in the water longer than Devyn normally would stay.

“Boys? Dinner’s ready,” Richard called through the door.

Devyn let out a low woof and promptly gagged as shampoo got into his mouth. Jason stood up and grabbed the shower head, pulling it off to aim it in the wolf’s mouth. The wolf had other plans though, leaping half soaped out of the tub.

Scowling at his brother, Jason let out a sharp whistle, the sound piercing his own ears and bringing Devyn up short. The wolf whimpered, wiping his face across the bath mat, but Jason wasn’t going to let Devyn just run around with soap in his fur. That couldn’t be healthy for him.

The neko grabbed the werewolf’s scruff, tugging sharply until they were back in the tub. Water washed over Devyn’s back, rinsing him off quickly and thoroughly. Jason didn’t want to risk him jumping out again before he was done.

Finally his brother was clean. Jason pulled a towel off the rack and wrapped it around the wolf. Rubbing him down vigorously, the neko chuckled weakly at the panting smile on Devyn’s face. At least the werewolf was in good spirits.

Drying himself quickly, Jason dodged a lick from the wolf as he reached for his pants. The neko dressed even faster, ignoring the pointed look Devyn gave him. Richard was waiting for them, and he couldn’t risk letting Devyn lick him. It would be far too awkward to explain.

At least the neko held hope for the future. As traumatizing as Margaret’s departure had been, she was gone now, hopefully for good this time. Richard wouldn’t be around most of the time. Certainly Jason and Devyn could have some time to explore their feelings in the near future.