Brothers - 59. Chapter 59

JASON

Devyn’s hand held the neko’s tightly. Jason stroked the wolf’s hand with his thumb, his other hand keeping a stunted conversation going with Dylan. It required spelling a lot of the words out, and the marble neko tried to keep his sentences short.

‘So eingar are a sort of priest?’

“Yeah, they were calicos who became female to help petitioners who preferred not to worship with a male,” Dylan explained quietly. “There was a group of healers who would perform surgery on them, but the practice is not adhered to as much these days. I think the eingar who blessed Dad and I was the last. We keep their memories alive.”

‘Why would it die out? Can’t any calico become an-’

Jason’s pocket buzzed, causing an annoyed hiss to escape him. He motioned for Devyn to follow Dylan, releasing his mate’s hand.

“I’ll explain it later,” Dylan brushed off as they approached the school.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Jason followed Devyn and Dylan, staring at the message Richard had sent him.

Let Devyn know he has work on Duya and Ferya from now on.

He typed out a quick reply before slipping the phone back into his pocket. Devyn was watching him closely, dare he say nervously? It was their first day as official mates, and he knew the wolf was trying to figure out how they were supposed to behave in public. The hand holding on the street was fine; Jason was just trying to keep his brother from stepping into traffic. Here, they didn’t have that excuse.

“Hey Dylan!”

The two looked up as Brienne hurried toward them. She grabbed Dylan, planting a firm kiss on his lips and pulling a drawn out purr from the neko. Jason could feel Devyn’s eyes on him, and the neko took a deep breath.

It was just a kiss. He’d enjoyed Devyn’s kisses… well, licks. This wouldn’t be any different, he was just going to get nagged about it by Dylan, Brienne, Connor… everyone really.

His shoulders tensed up, and Jason pulled his phone out again, giving him something to focus on besides the fact that his brother expected a kiss.

“Devyn, Dad says you have work on Duya and Ferya, instead of Lenya and Urdya. You must have left your phone at home.”

“Oh. Does that mean I can walk home with you today?”

Jason shook his head no.

“I have to go to the library today.”

It was another excuse not to get behind the wheel of Richard’s car. He knew someday he’d have to work on that, but Jason was happy enough not controlling a lethal weapon.

“I didn’t realise you were such a bookworm Jason,” Brienne said. “Oh, did you ever find another date for the dance? You can still go with us if not.”

Jason pointed toward Devyn, and Brienne’s eyes lit up.

“Aw, you’re taking your brother? That’s so sweet of you-”

The neko’s hand slid across his throat, scowling at the girl. His free hand typed into his phone quickly.

“Don’t talk like I’m doing him a favour. It’s like you’re saying he’s lucky to go.”

“No, that’s not… I didn’t mean that at all!”

“The bell’s about to chime.”

Jason grabbed Devyn’s hand, pulling the wolf after him carefully. Devyn’s cane tapped hurriedly, Devyn trying to stay on his feet, and Jason wondered why he wasn’t wearing the heels. If anyone had mocked him over the shoes, they’d have a pissed neko to deal with.

“Why are you angry?” Devyn asked.

The neko shrugged helplessly. Turning, he signed, not sure Devyn would get the message. But he had to try regardless.

‘They keep making fun of you. Treating you like you’re not human. You’re my mate, and I’m not letting them hurt you.’

Devyn’s face scrunched up in concentration, then his eyes brightened.

“You called me your mate,” he grinned.

Jason sighed in exasperation. Pushing his mate toward the WolfRoom, the neko followed Devyn inside, directing him past Dr. Marin. They stepped into the closet, and Jason closed the door slightly, before pressing Devyn against the wall.

Their lips collided, Devyn letting out a soft moan. Jason cut the kiss off quickly, stepping away from Devyn before the wolf could feel his growing erection. Petting the wolf lightly on the head, the neko left the closet, signing hello to Dr. Marin as he headed for the classroom door.

“Someone’s getting it on with a wolf,” someone said.

Jason cast a withering look at a wolf in the corner of the room. He thought the room was empty.

“Leave him alone Charlie,” Dr. Marin said sternly. “Jason, you better go or you’ll be late to class.”

Nodding, the neko hurried from the room, his mind scrambling with the knowledge that his secret was out. He was one of two nekos in the school; even if the werewolf didn’t know him -an impossibility after Dr. Marin had blabbed his name- it wouldn’t be too hard to tell people that a neko was dating a werewolf. And it certainly wouldn’t be difficult to realise the neko was not the calico one.

It really wasn’t fair to Devyn either. Jason wondered exactly who he was protecting by keeping their relationship hidden. But at the same time, he didn’t want to deal with a bunch of rumours floating around the school.

There was one way they could come out that would let everyone know at once, but for it to work, Jason would have to avoid being overly affectionate with his mate for the rest of the week, at least while at school. It shouldn’t be a problem, he’d been doing that since they met.

DEVYN

The bell chimed through the school, propelling Devyn to his feet. The wolf hobbled toward the door, cutting in front of Silas in his urge to escape the WolfRoom.

It had been a quiet class; both of the girls were missing and Dr. Marin had them work on missing homework. But most of Devyn’s classes didn’t give homework, and without Jason, the wolf had a hard time reading the psychology homework, with all the big words that made no sense. Half the class was spent asking Dr. Marin what the words meant, and by the time the bell released them, the wolf had the feeling the werewolf was happy to see him go.

The door opened before Devyn could reach it, a cloud of rage filling the room. He flinched back as Chloe’s eyes crossed over his.

“I’m going to fucking kill you!”

Devyn frantically searched his memory, trying to figure out what he’d done to piss the werewolf off. He couldn’t think of anything that would bring this much anger.

“Get out of my way Devyn!” Chloe snarled. “Silas! You fucked Anne!”

She shoved Devyn out of the way, the wolf catching himself with his cane. Confusion and anger fought each other, conflicting scents making Devyn sneeze.

“What? No… no, it was you,” Silas protested.

“It was not me! You fucked my sister and now she’s pregnant!”

“Chloe, sit down,” Dr. Marin said firmly. “We can get to the bottom of this; there’s no need to fight.”

Turning back to the door, Devyn hobbled out of the room as fast as he could. He wanted nothing to do with any of this. Dr. Aster kept telling him that he needed to keep himself mentally healthy if he wanted to help others, and this certainly felt like something that could hurt him. Besides, the emotions in the room would only stress him out, adding to the trouble at hand. Retreat seemed the best option all around.

The wolf moved through the crowded halls, trying to stay on his feet as students pushed past him. Following a now familiar path, Devyn pushed into a classroom, sniffing the air warily.

“I think he’s on his way to gym,” someone said, drawing Devyn’s attention.

“Oh,” the wolf frowned at the teacher. “Thanks Mix Jet.”

The human smiled back at him, but Devyn was already hobbling back out of the room. Where was he supposed to go now? If he went to the locker rooms, he’d be late for Mr. Daniel’s class.

A sharp whistle caught his ear, and he looked up, grinning at the marble neko who was pushing toward him.

“There you are.”

Jason’s hands moved slowly, Devyn’s eyes watching carefully.

“I moved after you?”

The neko shook his head, miming throwing something with both hands, but that only increased the wolf’s confusion. Devyn ended the matter, wrapping his arms around Jason. He fought the urge to touch Jason’s butt; the wolf had a feeling his mate wouldn’t appreciate that.

“Can we kiss again?” he whispered, his lips against the neko’s ear.

It flicked as he breathed into it, smacking his nose. Jason shook his head, pulling the wolf down the hall. Pushing into a bathroom, the neko turned around, and Devyn found himself pinned against the door.

Their lips met tenderly, and the wolf growled quietly, trying to put more force into the kiss. Jason’s hand pressed into his chest, keeping Devyn back, and the neko stepped back again barely a second later.

Jason’s hand rose, his middle fingers folded down and his palm facing Devyn. The wolf smiled, his eyes closing as the neko petted his head.

“I love you too,” he murmured, pushing into Jason’s hand. “I’m sorry I’m stressed. Chloe was yelling about Anne being pregnant with Silas’ puppies.”

Jason’s eyes widened, and his hand slapped his forehead. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone, and Devyn waited as he typed.

“I saw them, I think. I saw a wolf having sex with a girl in the bathroom a few weeks ago. They’re not going to go after me, are they?”

“If they haven’t yet, I don’t think so,” Devyn frowned. “It wouldn’t be hard to sniff you out; you smell so good.”

The door behind him suddenly slammed into Devyn’s back, and the wolf let out a yelp. Turning around, he pulled the door open, scowling at the young boy on the other side of the door.

“Oh- oh shit, I didn’t know you were there! Please don’t eat me…” the human whimpered, scrambling back.

Devyn heard a quiet snort escape from Jason, the neko pushing past the wolf.

“It’s okay, you didn’t know,” Devyn grunted, before following his mate.

They stopped outside the sign language room, and Jason rubbed Devyn’s head again. Pointing to the door, the neko ran down the hall, vanishing around the corner. Devyn sighed as he lost sight of his mate.

Stepping into the room, his sigh turned into a groan at the sight of the tan ‘No Talking’ sign. His head was already hurting from the situation with Chloe, and now he had to figure out how to make himself understood without talking?

The bell chimed as he sat in the front of the class, and the wolf frowned as Erith started handing out papers. Mr. Daniel stood at the front of the room, clearing his throat loudly. As soon as he had the class’ attention, his hands began moving slowly.

‘Today’s work will be to go one day without talking.’

Devyn wasn’t sure if he was reading the man’s hands right, or if Mr. Daniel was trying to simplify for them. But he knew it would be nearly impossible to go all day without talking. He was already missing a lot of what Mr. Daniel was saying.

Someone’s hand raised, and Mr. Daniel pointed to them, Devyn turning to watch her hands.

‘What if someone wants us to talk?’

Mr. Daniel signed a reply, something about keeping to the intent of the project. Devyn wasn’t sure he understood. But surely Jason would help him with the project. His brother always helped him.

JASON

A car honked as the neko hurried toward the car park. He looked around in shock; there was no way Quarian had gotten to the school yet.

Richard stood by a car, waving at Jason, and the neko let out a silent groan. His feet took him to the car reluctantly, his phone ready with an excuse.

“I have to go to the library today.”

“Books can wait for a day,” Richard denied.

“I’m working for the queen. I don’t think she’d want to wait,” Jason typed quickly.

“You are still my son, and I am legally responsible until your next birthday,” Richard said. “In this instance, the queen can wait. Besides, with a little practice, you can get to the library any time you want. And, I got you a gift.”

“What is it?” Jason typed, a suspicious frown on his face.

“A game console. You shouldn’t be working all the time; it’s not healthy for anyone. But, the only way you get the console is if you drive one lap around the trucking course,” Richard said.

Jason’s fur bristled, his fingers already in motion, but Richard set a hand on the neko’s phone.

“Look, I understand, cars are scary. Everyone is frightened the first time they press that gas pedal. But are you going to let that fear rule your life?”

He wanted to say yes. The neko wanted nothing to do with that deathtrap, certainly not to control the thing. But Jason forced himself to think about Devyn. His brother -his mate- would need to get around himself, and it would be safer for him if he could be driven around.

Taking a deep breath, Jason typed out another message to Quarian, letting him know that he wouldn’t be coming to the library after all. The neko held out his hand for the keys, and Richard laughed.

“Nope. There’s no way I’m letting you drive around here yet,” the man said. “Wait until we get to the school first.”

Ears flat in embarrassment, Jason ducked into the passenger seat, glancing in the back curiously.

“Patrick’s setting it up. He doesn’t know a lot about electronics, but he said he always wanted to learn more,” Richard said, sliding in the driver’s seat.

The drive to the trucking school was both far too long and far too short. Jason could already feel his heart rate skyrocketing. He was going to fuck up somehow; crash or run someone over.

Richard pulled into a small car park, carefully backing the car into a parking spot. Jason could see a small hill rising maybe a mile away, an empty road heading straight toward it, and the neko gulped.

“Okay, go ahead and make yourself comfortable in the driver’s seat,” Richard said, shutting off the car. “I have to check in with the instructor on duty, and then we can get started.”

Jason nodded, getting out of the car. He stood against the vehicle for a moment, fighting trembling legs. His eyes followed Richard as the man headed toward a small office, and Jason closed his eyes, trying to take deep breaths.

Stepping around the car, the neko opened the door, sitting heavily in the driver’s seat. He sat up straight, trying to see over the steering wheel. Pressing a button, Jason felt the seat press into his back, helping him stay up.

He stared at the keys hanging from the lock cylinder, his throat suddenly dry. Pulling out his phone, the neko looked for a video online, hoping that perhaps having someone walk him through the steps would help him take that first big leap.

A minute later, he was watching a woman turn a steering wheel in a stationary car.

“Remember, if you want to reverse left, then turn left.”

Jason groaned, shutting the video off. So much for help from online…

Taking a deep breath, the neko reached for the keys, running his hand over the cool metal. He grasped the key in the lock gingerly, hesitating a second before twisting it.

The sudden sound of the engine turning over startled him, and Jason released the key. But the damage was already done; the car was rumbling around him, ruining the last of his nerves. The passenger door opening was the last straw.

He screamed.

“Good job! You got it started,” Richard praised. “Are you okay?”

Jason nodded quickly, gulping down short breaths. His hands were tucked in his lap, little drops of blood welling up where his claws were poking into his skin.

“Okay, I want you to look down and find the short fat pedal. Put your foot on it, and make sure your heel is on the ground,” Richard said.

The neko nodded again, his eyes glancing down. His heel pressed against the floor mat, right in front of the pedal, and Jason rested his foot on the pedal, not daring to press down.

“That is the brake. Now, without moving your heel, stretch your foot to the long skinny pedal.”

Focusing on his heel, Jason turned his foot, setting it against the other pedal as if it was a live grenade.

“Good. Go ahead and press the pedal,” Richard encouraged.

His head shook rapidly, ears flat against his skull.

“You are still in park, Jason. Pressing the gas pedal will not make you move yet.”

The neko’s foot eased into the pedal, but nothing happened. Frowning in confusion, he pressed a little harder, flinching back as the car revved suddenly. His foot twisted, hitting the brake pedal hard.

“Okay, that was good,” Richard smiled. “Try it again.”

Pressing again, Jason tensed up, listening to the car’s engine rumble. He kept his foot on the pedal, glancing over at Richard uncertainly. The human nodded, and Jason eased off the pedal again.

“Good. Now, push the lever to the side of the steering wheel until it’s on the small D. We’re going to try moving.”