Unwilling - 3. Hanging by a thread

~*Jared*~

Harry had passed out and didn't seem to be in the mood to wake up as Darwin disappeared into the sunny day outside the university. Jared would have run after him, but since he had caught Harry and couldn't just drop him now, he didn't have any choice but to tend to his new charge. What to do with an unconscious werewolf in the middle of a hallway full of people? Jared looked down at the bundle in his arms and sniffed thoughtfully. Normally he would have been worried about the possibility of Harry having a panic attack as soon as he came back to his senses, but this one was a submissive, and probably easy to handle--not that Jared had any experience with situations like this. Having taken a back seat all his life once more proved to be an unfortunate decision, but then again, Jared was already used to that.

Most of the students in the hallway ignored the hunk and the unconscious student in his arms, but a few stopped to stare. It made Jared's hackles rise with a strange sort of protectiveness to see those humans gaping at one of his kind like hungry vultures, so Jared tightened his grip around the smaller body and got up. Jared didn't really know where best to take him since he already knew it would upset Harry even more to wake up in Jared's room, but when he caught some of the girls whispering about calling 911 he relented and started walking towards Statsby Hall. An upset werewolf wasn't fun and was pretty hard to hide, but a werewolf in the hands of modern medicine was a much bigger danger than a few nips and scratches and angered neighbors.

The odd glances and glimpses he got walking to his room with Harry in his arms soon had him almost run down the hallway, bristling at everyone crossing his path. When the door of his single bed dorm room finally fell shut behind him he sighed in relief.

It felt peculiar to be taking care of someone he didn't really know. Jared didn't like meddling in other people's business and he disliked being dragged into other people's misery even more. Had this been any other person than Harry, Jared would have left them somewhere safe and run with no further thought, but Harry was different. After all, Jared very dearly wanted to get into Darwin's pants and Harry was Darwin's friend. By default, helping him would get him on Darwin's good side, right? But that was all the reason he had for helping him, no further meddling planned. None at all, no sir. A nagging doubt settled in his chest. Nothing more, damn it! With a huff, he shook himself (and Harry, too) and trotted into his sparse living quarters.

Jared despised his room and it showed. He had been living there for two weeks but the walls were still barren, the desk was clean, the floor tidy and uncluttered. The whole place looked sterile and Jared didn't feel like changing it. Why not show how little he had left? Packing all of his stuff back home had been impossible, mostly because he'd had to leave in quite a hurry. All he had were a few cardboard boxes with clothes that now hung neatly in his closet, his smart phone, and his bank card and driver's license. His room was empty because there was nothing he could put into it, and the one picture he had of his family stayed tucked away in his wallet instead of hanging on the wall. Maybe he was being paranoid, but it just seemed wrong to show total strangers what his family looked like.

But some day that would change and he would decorate his room, Jared mused as he laid Harry on his bed. He would plaster his walls with snapshots of Darwin and himself, the happy couple, and even send some of the photos home to rub into his brother's face how happy he could be, even without his blood relatives. That would serve Tobias right.

Staring down at Harry's unconscious form, Jared realized he would have to do a lot of groveling and begging if he ever wanted to be able to get those photos. Darwin had looked pissed enough for murder and that didn't bode well for future romance. If Jared wanted Darwin, he'd have to do right by Harry and fix their friendship. Life could be so complicated sometimes!

Still, there was nothing he could do about it until Harry woke up from his peculiar blackout.

With a sigh Jared grabbed his books and sat down at his desk. Might as well do some studying while he waited, he supposed.

 

 

~*Darwin*~

Breathe. Remember to breathe.

Carl hummed a monotonous melody as he tied Darwin's arms together, fingers touching elbows. He then coaxed Darwin down to his knees by a hard punch into the stomach that made him gag violently. Carl didn't seem to be in a hurry though. As soon as he had Darwin where he wanted him, he just left the room to let Darwin simmer in his fear and pain. Minutes ticked by and morphed into eternities. When Carl finally came back, still humming that damn melody, Darwin had to restrain himself not to yell at him to stop, just stop that sound and get to it.

Although this was a part of Carl's usual routine, something just didn't feel right about the expression on Carl's face, that faint twitch in his cheeks. As panicked as Darwin felt, there was a chance he was just seeing things, but his skin still tingled with renewed foreboding.

"Why do you do this to me, Darwin? Didn't I help take care of your family? Didn't I pay the medical bills for your father? Your college tuition?" Carl's voice sounded agitated, as if fighting the urge to shout or lash out again. At least talking forced him to stop that hellish humming. He didn't stop walking around though, not even bothering to hide his emotional state.

Again Darwin couldn't shake the feeling that something was different from all the other times, even though Carl used the same words as always, like a trustworthy swiss clock. Next Darwin would say, "I don't understand. What did I do?" and then Carl would show a controlled burst of anger, slap him a few times, or maybe punch him and break his nose. And then, once there was blood, Carl would shake off his fit of anger, manhandle him out the door and tell him not to show his face for another week.

Darwin heard himself pray the usual mantra, felt the words leaving his lips, and then cowered down, waiting for the blows.

They never came. Carl just huffed angrily, then he chortled. The sudden change made Darwin's blood run cold.

The Alpha crossed the room without sparing him so much as a second glance. He seemed more intent on sifting through a whole rack of torture devices, some of them looking as if he had gotten them right out of another century. "Wanna come clean before I begin?" Carl asked smugly, and picked up a slim black riding crop.

For years, Carl had never once strayed from his usual routine. If anything, the torturous evenings had notably shortened once Darwin had learned the expected actions. There had been a lot more punches in the beginning, sometimes enough to have him bedridden for a day or two. But now, Darwin had no idea what Carl wanted to hear. He knew very well that his Alpha was beyond odd. Carl was batshit-crazy and had been for a long time. It made answering questions like these unbelievably hard. If he gave the impression he doubted Carl's intellect, he would be punished even more severely. If he told the truth about himself he would be killed. If he didn't answer he'd probably be whipped until he answered.

"I don't know what you want to hear from me. I already told you everything." It was a struggle to keep his voice from shivering with fear, even though a little fear was undoubtedly appropriate for the situation. Darwin's shoulders creaked in protest when he inadvertently struggled against the bindings.

The riding crop sizzled through the air right next to his head, making him jump. "Don't you play stupid now, boy," Carl snarled and started circling him. "I've watched you! Our packmates are watching you every day! Did you really think you could hide this secret forever?"

Darwin's heart skipped a beat. There were so many secrets he'd had to keep in the last years and each and every one of them would cost him dearly if exposed. But which one was Carl referring to and how had he found out?

"Whatever I've done, I'm sorry! But I really don't know what you are talking about," he begged, and this time his voice audibly shook with panic.

Still Carl didn't seem to hear the confusion in Darwin's voice. He didn't seem to hear anything Darwin said. His face was a contorted mask of anger and something close to paranoid triumph. The grip of the riding crop groaned dryly under Carl's tightening grip. "I don't like being lied to, boy. Maybe I can beat the rebelliousness out of you with this; shall we try?"

This time he didn't wait for Darwin's answer. Carl just pulled his arm back, paused for a second, and then began to strike him with vicious whistling blows all over his chest, thighs, ass and flanks. Every single whack rained down on Darwin's body with full-out force, and even though his clothes prevented him from bleeding instantly, he could feel the welts forming within seconds wherever the slim, elastic rod met his skin.

The pain was instant and gut-wrenching. Every lash set his body on fire, sending shocks of fear and burning agony through his veins. The worst part of the beating wasn't even the moment when the riding crop hit, but the intensifying sting that followed, and it got worse and worse with every second. Darwin was screaming within seconds, coiling up in a weak attempt to get away from his tormentor, only to be stopped by a casual kick to his side.

It felt like hours before the blows finally stopped, even though it had been only moments. His whole body ached with the burning, stinging sensation of the welts, and his face was wet with tears. Darwin gulped in air greedily, despite the fact that his throat felt raw from all the screaming.

Carl walked slow circles around him, wiping off the riding crop with a white linen handkerchief. "When were you going to tell me about that new werewolf?" he asked, suddenly sounding perfectly calm. He didn't even seem that out of breath after having exerted himself physically.

Pain clouded Darwin's mind and made his thoughts crawl and stumble. Before he could stop himself, he responded incredulously, "Who? Jared?"

Then it hit him.

Jared. Another Alpha.

He had been friendly--even intimate--with another Alpha and hadn't told Carl about Jared's presence. Not reporting another Alpha trespassing into their district was something a trustworthy dominant would never do, special circumstances be damned. Not doing anything was one thing, but not saying anything was a whole different story that could only be explained one way: From Carl's point of view Darwin had switched sides, betrayed his pack, and was most likely planning mutiny. The old man might be crazy, but this time he actually had found a very good reason to kill Darwin and never be tried by anyone for it.

Carl started to grin widely when he saw Darwin's shocked face lose the last bit of color. "Ah, now you suddenly know, eh?" The old man's voice dripped with hatred and fierce joy. "This time you won't be able to wiggle out of this. No chance. I always knew there was something odd about you, I just couldn't find the reason for this feeling. For some time I thought you might be one of them, a submissive, trying to weaken my pack with your whiny, spineless, goody-two-shoes influence. I need my pack ready to fight, ready to go to war, and those helpless puppies make them mellow and peaceful like lambs."

He crouched down next to Darwin, grabbing his hair to pull his head back with one hand. The other hand smacked his face with enough force to make his ears ring. "There are so many of those submissives I lost count, and then I started to think something was wrong with me, since you made my senses tingle despite you being dominant. My skin always crawled with unease when you were at a meeting, you know that? But as it turns out, you're just trying another route to destroy me, lurking around behind my back, waiting for the right moment to take over!"

Darwin tried to blink away the disorientation and pain. He desperately wanted to keep Carl talking, not only because he had just learned more about his Alpha's mind than ever before, but also because he feared what would happen after Carl stopped talking. But before he could say anything another punch rained down on his face, wiping the words from his lips. And then another followed, and another, and another.

 

 

~*Jared*~

It was dark when Harry woke up. He started to twitch softly, not yet conscious but on the brink of it. He had been out for nearly four hours, and with every passing minute Jared had gotten more and more nervous. He'd even checked Harry's pulse and breathing regularly, just to make sure the werewolf hadn't died on him while Jared sat there like an oaf, waiting. Harry wouldn't be the first submissive to die of a broken heart, even though that normally only happened if a soul mate died and the other one was left behind.

Jared put his book down and slowly crept towards the bed, his eyes fixated on the stirring body. He felt his heart starting to beat faster when he saw the twitching in Harry's fingers, and he felt his muscles tighten in caution. Jared was ready to catch Harry before he could reach the door, should the submissive wake up and decide to flee. Like stalking prey, Jared realized, and he had to gasp and swallow hard against the nervous cackle that tried to crawl out of his gullet.

At least that gasp woke Harry up. Jared stayed crouched down next to the bed and watched intently how Harry's eyelashes swept up and down while he blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling. The silence was nerve-wracking, but breaking it would definitely scare Harry. Unfortunately, Jared had never been especially good with patience.

"Are you okay?"

Harry leapt to his feet with a hiss, pressing his back against the wall above the bed. "Jesus Christ! What are you doing?" he yelled when he saw Jared crouching next to the bed, staring at him. His breath increased to short, nervous pants. His eyes bled to that typical yellow tint werewolves got right before shifting.

"Watching you. So you are okay?" Jared asked again. It only irritated Harry more, but at least it gave the human in him a better grip on his self-control. Slowly his eyes bled back to normal. It surprised Jared a little. For a submissive, Harry seemed to have enormous amounts of control over his actions, something rarely found even in dominant werewolves.

"Where did you grow up, in a cave? Why are you staring at me like that!" Harry exclaimed, sliding down the wall as the initial adrenaline wore off. His hair was tousled, his clothes disheveled and bluish shadows beneath his eyes showed his exhaustion, but at least he didn't seem to be planning a quick escape.

Satisfied with this reaction Jared stood up and sat back down at his desk. "South of Florida, actually. But mom always was kind of a tomboy. She even played touch-football with us. She often won, too." Relaxing into his seat, Jared kept his eyes trained on Harry's face. "Not enough female influence in my youth, I guess. But you fainted and that was a first even for me. I didn't know what to do, so I monitored your vital signs to make sure you wouldn't die. That about sums it up."

When reminded of his weakened state, Harry's face fell. Jared regretted his own thoughtless words instantly. If Harry broke down again, he'd have to go through all the insecurities and the waiting once more, and Jared really didn't fancy that idea.

"Come on now, don't flake out on me! Everything will be alright, we'll talk to Darwin together as soon as he has calmed down a bit, okay?"

Jared surprised himself with those heartfelt words. He'd always been popular and pretty carefree with his friends and relationships, never having to care for anyone's feelings because there always had been someone new if he broke a heart or two. In his old pack there had always been his brother Tobias--another Alpha--overshadowing everything Jared did and steadfastly keeping him from finding friends within the werewolf community for fear of having to fight his youngest brother for reign over the pack. And now it seemed that fate had thrown Jared right into the middle of the wide ocean of emotions and sensitivities, with no land in sight and nothing to cling to but dumb luck.

"I can't go home yet." Harry's voice was solemn and forlorn. The words made Jared cringe, but he didn't let his uneasiness show. It meant that Harry wanted to stay a while, which Jared had planned anyway--but hearing it made it so much more real and way more awkward.

"I know. How about you take a shower? I'll order pizza and then we'll try to sort things out," Jared replied with a forced smile. Being mindful of other's needs felt like too much hard work, but there was no way he'd get out of this. And more importantly, if he wanted to impress Darwin he'd better take good care of his best friend.

Harry, unaware of the rather unsocial thoughts Jared groomed, just nodded and got up. "No anchovies on mine please," he mumbled and disappeared into the small bathroom.

Sounds of running water came from the shower when Jared picked up his smart phone and dialed his favorite pizza parlor to place an order. Just as he put down his own phone, Harry's started ringing on the crumpled bed. Jared walked over and picked it up, intending to bring it to the bathroom, but as soon as he saw the caller's ID his heart stopped for a second. It was Darwin.

Jared didn't dare to pick up. If Darwin heard his voice from Harry's phone he'd freak again, Jared reckoned, but watching the phone blink, ring and vibrate was torture. When it went silent again Jared was relieved and pissed off at the same time.

A few seconds later it started ringing again, and this time Jared grudgingly took the call. He listened intently, then his face went white. As the phone hit the ground Jared was already out the door.

 

 

~*Darwin*~

The room was dark and silent when Darwin woke up again. He felt numb and disconnected, trying to stay as still as possible, dreading the pain that would take hold of him as soon as his body realized how badly hurt he was. He didn't know why he wasn't dead, but since Carl had left the room he probably thought he'd finished him off. Maybe the old Alpha had gone to get someone to clean up the mess he'd left, but that gave Darwin only minutes to act.

Unfortunately, acting meant moving first.

The pain started the second he tried to open his eyes. Somehow his left eye had survived the battering fists, but his right eye started pulsing and wouldn't open at all. Something inside felt broken, like shards scratching over his eyeball whenever he tried to look around. Maybe his eye socket had been crushed, but that wouldn't kill him. The blinding, searing pain that rushed through his spine when he tried to roll around was a whole different matter.

He stopped moving, gasped for air and bit down a scream. Every heartbeat seemed to prolong the waves of nauseating agony rushing through his upper body, but as soon as he threw caution into the wind and rolled onto his stomach, it suddenly stopped. Something in his spine seemed badly injured. His left leg was numb and wouldn't move, but his right leg still had some movement left. Something wet and sticky had glued his shirt to his back. Darwin didn't have to check to know it was his own blood. His fingers wouldn't move at all, and the pain accompanying every attempt was disheartening. Carl had definitely done a pretty good number on him. And if he didn't get out of here soon, the Alpha would finish what he'd started.

Darwin squirmed, testing the restraints on his arms. He could feel the rope shifting ever so slightly. A few tugs actually loosened his bindings enough to shake them off, even though the pain his movements triggered made Darwin black out for a few seconds. He still didn't know if he would be able to stand up or even crawl, but at least he wouldn't die like a lamb in a slaughterhouse.

He slowly, cautiously, lifted his head and took in the room. Three small windows sat high on the wall behind him. They were on ground level on the outside, but inside this cellar they were way too high to reach them when he was this badly injured. The door was only a few feet away, but if he went out that way, the risk of being found was extremely high. There was no other way out of the cellar that he could see, though, and with the first option being simply impossible, Darwin had no choice but to choose the door.

His shoulders screamed when he moved his arms in front of his body, but it was a healthy ache and nothing compared to the stabbing pain in his fingers, ribs, face, legs.... The list went on and on and he tried to recount every hurt as he pulled himself to the door with slow, crawling movements. A technique he had learned as a guide, using lists and counting as a method to accomplish highly exhausting tasks, got him right to the door without fainting again.

Luck didn't let him down there. When he pressed against the door, it just swung open, letting in blinding lights from the other cellar room. The surreal scene of normalcy there made Darwin's chest hurt, but it didn't stop his advance to the staircase.

There was a glass patio door right next to the stairs leading up. It took Darwin a few seconds to remember it was there and that it led outside to a porch, but when he did, he started crawling faster. If Carl was still inside the house, he would hear the scratching and panting and gasping downstairs, so Darwin hurried as much as he could. When his crushed fingers touched the glass he winced and bit down a scream, but at least he had reached his destination without getting caught.

The sudden sound of steps on the floor above him made him freeze in a panic. Carl seemed to walk around in the conference room, but Darwin soon realized that his Alpha was walking in circles. Then he heard his muffled voice talking on the phone with somebody.

"Where are you? I've been waiting for twenty minutes!" There was a short silence, then more steps.

"I don't care if your car broke down, shift and run if you must, but get your ass here!" Again there was silence, but this time Carl seemed to listen for a longer time. Then the old man sighed and stopped with an audible last step.

"Fine, I'll start digging. But I don't want to touch that traitor ever again, so you better hurry. The longer you wait, the bigger the mess gets. He bled like a pig."

As Carl walked out the front door on the other side of the house, Darwin swallowed a big gunk of bile. It was hard to hear about being reduced to 'a mess', like the dirty footprints an unruly pet had left on the floor, but at least he knew now that Carl really assumed him dead, and that the Alpha planned to go outside and dig. A grave, probably, which would take a good long time to finish.

Darwin turned his head as far as he could and peeked up to the door handle above him. There was no way around this, he would have to try and get up to reach it, preferably before whoever was coming to help Carl arrived.

The burning pain in his spine was back as soon as he managed to pull himself up and rest on his knees, but this time it didn't fade. Gasping for air through the blinding waves of fire Darwin groped for the door handle with his elbow and managed to push it sideways into the open-position. Then he sagged back down and lay there motionless until the black edges around his vision faded, even though it took minutes. It was a bloody bad moment to black out, that much he knew for sure, lost time besides.

Then the moment of truth came and Darwin peeled the door open. If Carl decided to bury him on the steep, sloped side of the area, Darwin would get caught as soon as Carl heard the patio door open.

Darwin kept quiet and listened to the pitch black night, trying to hear something--anything--over the furious hammering of his own heartbeat.

An owl cried its sad calls, but nothing else moved.

Shivering with adrenaline Darwin pulled his broken body outside and to the edge of the balcony. It sat right on the edge of a slope, with one side being on ground level and the other side having a drop of about three feet, so Darwin crawled to the upper edge and onto the grass. Now that he was outside, he realized that he couldn't go near the main road leading to their community center. If they found out he was gone they would start looking for him there, and whoever came to help Carl would stumble over Darwin instantly. That left him with the woods around the house, and the risk of staying hidden, but dying there without anyone ever finding him.

Darwin chose the woods.

It took another eternity to reach the edge of the forest. When he finally felt the shadows of the leaved canopy above him he was totally exhausted. Changing into his wolf form wasn't even an option at this point, because it would take too much energy out of his already weak body and probably cause his broken bones to heal crooked, but crawling as a badly hurt human severely narrowed his choices. His second leg had given up somewhere along the way and something in his head seemed to be broken enough to ruin his feel for balance. It felt like his body was shutting down bit by bit, which meant that soon he would be unconscious and quite possibly dead.

A small, hard rectangle pressed into his hip and added to the miasma of pain. First he thought he'd landed on another rock, but when he felt around it he realized with a shock that it had to be his mobile phone. He actually still had his mobile phone!

He could call somebody. Somebody would come and save him. Darwin didn't even care how helpless and miserable that thought sounded; he just squirmed and writhed until the phone popped out of his pocket, and shoved it closer to his head with his elbows.

The world around him went gray when he tried to dial with broken fingers, so he made do with speed dial. He only had Harry and his father on it anyway, and both would be able to find him.

Blinking furiously against the popping black and white stars in his vision he stared down at the phone as it dialed Harry. When he didn't pick up at first try Darwin started crying, but did try again. The world started to waver dangerously.

A soft click from the mobile phone told Darwin that Harry finally had picked up. He laid his head onto the small gadget and tried to sort his muddled thoughts-- Harry needed to know where he was or this would be a useless exercise.

"I'm dying. In the woods next to the pack house. Please help."

Darwin didn't hear the answer. He blacked out, right there on the edge of the forest.

 

#

When he came to again, he saw a face he hadn't expected to see hovering above him.

"Boy, did you fuck up this time." Trevor had his hands in the pockets of his black wind jacket, staring down at Darwin's battered body. In the moonless night he was nothing more than a lighter blotch in the darkness, but his voice gave his identity away. He was another dominant from Darwin's pack, thirty-ish with brunette hair and green-brown eyes and a swimmer's body that was slim and sinewy but still pretty non-threatening. He wasn't even high up in the pack hierarchy, since no amount of dominance could fix an unsteady, insecure, and egotistical character, but for Carl to call Trevor for assistance made sense. Trevor had never felt a sense of justice or morality and wouldn't mind dirtying his hands for money and status.

Darwin tried to breathe around the stabbing pain in his back and fingers, croaking, "I didn't do anything, I swear, just..." He tried to squirm backwards, away from Trevor's looming presence, but the agony was too much. His breathing sounded wet, underlined with a soft bubbling sound that made Darwin think of broken ribs and punctured lungs. It didn't matter at that moment. "... just go, leave, tell him you killed me, I'll disappear, I swear."

Trevor had the grace to look uneasy. "No can do, sorry. If I don't show up with your body, he'll suspect me too. You know how crazy he can get." 'He' obviously being Carl, scaring the shit out of one of the most jaded werewolves Darwin had ever met in his life.

The no-nonsense way Trevor talked to him irked Darwin to no end. Here he lay, bleeding internally, broken to the point of near death, and still that guy behaved as if nothing was wrong with that scene.

"I didn't betray anyone! Christ, can't you see? If he doesn't shy away from killing me, who knows who'll be next?" The shouting and straining made something pop inside Darwin's chest, and another wave of pain rolled through his back, robbing him of his ability to speak. Where the fuck was Harry?

Trevor looked back to the house, only turning his head. "Well," he started, squinting through the darkness, "since he killed his wife first, I'd say everyone of us is a target until somebody finally has the balls to kill him. You see, she's the reason behind his madness. She betrayed him first, and he trusted her like nobody else. Slept with some other Alpha while she was out of town, for all I know. Lost her head quite literally when Carl found out." Trevor looked back down at Darwin and squirmed a bit. It was a morbidly reassuring sign of uneasiness. At least his killer wasn't happy with his job.

But Darwin's thoughts raced down a very different road at that moment. Carl's wife was the reason for his insanity? She'd been dead for about seven years, died in labor while giving birth to Carl's one and only daughter, who had also died. Nobody had ever had any suspicions about her death, and Carl hadn't started his killing spree right away. That specific part of pack history had only started when...

Darwin gasped softly. Submissives had started vanishing when his own adoptive father, George, had had his stroke, leaving him unable to fulfill his duties as a right hand. Unable to influence and stabilize Carl. The revelation stunned Darwin.

"Well, enough of this chit-chat. Let's get this done. Sorry, Dar, just doin' my job," Trevor sighed and bowed down with one hand extended towards his throat.

Darwin panicked. "Wait! Please!" he whined. His mind was racing, stumbling though pain, endorphins and adrenaline, but there was nothing he could say that would stop someone like Trevor. Nothing, except-- Wheezing, Darwin bared his throat in the first deliberate gesture of submission in five years. He couldn't think of anything else, and this was the only thing that a dominant would never do in an inevitable situation. They liked to die with a stiff upper lip.

It stopped Trevor in mid-gesture. Then he pulled back with a hiss. "You little bastard, did you really fool us all?" he snarled and took a small, hesitant step back. Killing a submissive that was already baring his throat was against every instinct a werewolf had, and even though the human part of him could overcome those instincts, it was like walking over the edge of a roof in hopes of suddenly being able to stand on in thin air.

"Why are you making this harder on me?" Trevor sighed, rolled his shoulders and felt through his pockets. He probably had a gun somewhere, which was much easier than to strangle Darwin with bare hands.

Moving his head brought back the blinding pain in his back with full force, summoning the dancing splotches of light and the creeping darkness again, but this time Darwin didn't try to fight it. He didn't want to experience his own death wide awake. As his eyes rolled back into his head, he heard running steps, than a vicious growl and a scream that got cut off right after it had started, but the noises faded away quickly as he sank into unconsciousness.

 

 

~*Jared*~

Jared ran as fast as his body would let him. He didn't see or hear anyone. There were people, but their faces were shapeless, meaningless, empty to him. He exploded out of Statsby Hall like a small hurricane, running the pizza guy over without hesitating or stopping. He didn't know where to go, but it didn't matter. If push came to shove he would scent his way through the city, following the trails Darwin had left hours before.

His face partially shifted and he didn't care. It was night and he was full-out sprinting, nobody would get a good look his face and he needed his increased wolf senses to track Darwin. A few late passersby gasped and quickly scurried out of his way when he shot past them, but otherwise he had the streets all to himself.

When he reached the gravel road leading to the edge of the highway and two of Darwin's tracks mingled, he stopped for a second and jogged a wide circle to find the fresher trail. There was no distinction between his wolf half and his human half at this point: Both wanted to find Darwin, both agreed on the actions needed to get there. Never before had he felt this much at peace with his inhumanity. He started off again as soon as he had the scents sorted out.

He followed the fresher trail to George's house and rounded it twice to look into the windows, but didn't intrude when he again found another trail leading away from it. For his frenzied mind the information that Darwin wasn't there anymore was enough to not bother going in.

Darwin must have been in a car on this part of his route and it made tracking hard work. Jared had to slow down and jog if he didn't want to lose the scent. It just fed into his panic and rage. When he reached the intersection at the main road where a smaller concrete path led into the hilly woods, his arms and back had grown gray fur that had gradually and painfully seeped through his skin. As a born werewolf his shifting usually went smoothly, controlled and with little pain, but the running around and the panic had weakened his control over his body. His wolf-self tried to wrestle its way into freedom bit by bit.

'When we find whoever hurt him', Jared whispered in his mind, 'you'll have full control over his punishment. Just wait until then.' He would have liked nothing more than to just let his wolf-self take over control, but they still were within city limits, and the risks of being detected and maybe even shot at were still too high. He couldn't be of any help if he got himself injured or killed.

The trail led Jared along and up the road. He stopped once when he saw a bicyclist working his way through the darkness and up the steep hill further along the way, so he decided to try his luck in the woods instead of the road. Being seen in his state of change would mean killing the bicyclist and that would cost him even more precious time--not worth the risk.

In the darker forest Jared let his wolf take over navigating them through the brush. His face shifted further, taking the shape of a wolf's head and giving them access to even better night vision, hearing and smelling, and off they went.

As his body leapt over fallen trees, dodged trees and branches, and evaded burrows, he felt his trousers and his shirt rip and shred under the pressure of growing muscles and fur. Once or twice the man-beast stopped and raised his muzzle to scent the nightly winds, but it took another ten minutes until the smell of blood hit him and made him skid to a halt.

It didn't make him think of food, it made him growl with triumph.

Darwin.

With a low yip he started running again, zigzagging through smaller and denser groups of trees, and he only slowed when he smelled another werewolf mingling with Darwin's scent.

He could see the edge of the forest coming closer. Between the trees stood a werewolf dressed just like the bicyclist he had seen on the road. On the ground in front of the stranger lay Darwin, bloodied and lifeless.

Jared didn't stop to find out if that stranger was friend or foe. He didn't hesitate, didn't want to hesitate. He just tackled the other werewolf in full speed and burrowed his claws into his flesh to rip bits and pieces out of him until he stopped moving, stopped breathing, stopped being.

His fury was so intense, he didn't even spare a thought to the feeling of triumph when his victim lay dead and broken before him. He just turned around with shivering muscles and carefully picked up Darwin's unconscious body. His instincts told him to retreat, so that was what he would do. Go somewhere where they were safe, nurture the wounds of his mate, and then take revenge.

While Jared's human side pondered over the thought of having a mate, the wolf just started running again, towards the city of Banes.

 

#

The hotel was on the other side of Banes and it stank even from the outside. Jared had seen hookers standing in front of it as early as five p.m. on the few times he had passed it by, disappearing into a few of the rooms whenever a 'customer' approached them, but the sign close to the entrance proclaimed that rooms could also be rented by the day. However long people stayed here, it was obvious that the rooms were never cleaned. Not that it mattered at this moment, even a dirty, crabs-riddled mattress was better than an alley.

Three cars were parked in front of the street side rooms. There was no security camera in sight. Jared gently put Darwin on the ground around the corner from the main entrance and checked his pulse. The unconscious werewolf was nothing but a bloody, lifeless heap with a slow, hesitant heartbeat that drove Jared near mad with worry, but he didn't seem to get any worse.

The wolf still lurked near the surface, making Jared itchy and aggressive, but also sharpening his senses as he carefully peeked around the corner to watch the parking area and the windows of the hotel rooms. There were a few lights on here and there and the soft sing-song of a TV show drifted through the ratty windows of the reception area, but besides that the area looked deserted.

Jared couldn't carry Darwin around any longer. The jerky movements made Darwin's condition worse with every mile they walked. He needed a car, and he needed it fast. His own Volkswagen Beetle was at the university and carrying Darwin there was not acceptable. Of course, he could always steal a car, but he needed more than that, he needed a specific car.

Crouching down next to Darwin he brushed a few strands of hair out of his face, kissed his forehead and whispered, "I'll be back real soon, I promise." Then he got up, shook himself and approached the hotel's main entrance in a jog.

The receptionist lost all color in his face when Jared barged in, but Jared didn't give him much notice. "I need to make a call. Give me your phone," he barked at the shocked guy behind the desk and grabbed the phone without waiting for an answer.

It took five minutes to get in touch with the doctor on call, but even though Jared felt the need to grab through the phone and pull the poor guy through the cables, he managed to make it sound urgent but not urgent enough for an ambulance. "We're in the last room on the front, please hurry," he whined into the phone and simply hung up. The receptionist had an uneasy look about him and seemed tempted to call the police, but it took just one good hard glance to make him forget that idea. To be sure Jared hissed, "Don't even think about it, you hear me?", and walked off without waiting for an answer.

He left the reception and ran the long route around the building. The nosy receptionist watched him with the same uneasiness he'd had a few seconds before and Jared didn't want to be too conspicuous about his intentions. Darwin's only chance at survival was a perfect emergency first responder car-theft.

He didn't know how much time passed, but watching Darwin's chest struggle with each breath made it feel like hours. When a car turned into the hotel parking area, Jared couldn't suppress an agitated growl. Taking a deep breath he peeked around the corner once more and nearly hooted with triumph when he saw the doctor's car standing right there, next to the reception entrance. The doctor on call just got out of it, carrying a big first aid kit with him, and he didn't lock the car.

Turning around Jared scooped up Darwin from the floor, hushed him soothingly when he made a low, pained sound and snuck out of their hiding spot and to the car. Sure enough, the car wasn't locked and the key was still in the ignition. Thank god for country bumpkin naiveté! It was the dumbest luck Jared had ever had, and he didn't think twice about grabbing it by the horns.

He put Darwin on the back seats, opened the front passenger door and scooted behind the wheel, just as the clueless doctor knocked on the last hotel room door, far, far away from his car. He only realized the whole scheme when he heard the engine of his car roar to life, and saw his car dash out of the parking area with screeching tires.

Jared left the hotel and headed back into the city. When they passed through a short stretch of acres and wilderness right next to the city limits, he left the road to turn into one of the dirt roads, drove for thirty minutes further into the countryside and finally found an empty hunting cabin beside the road. Jared broke the lock on the door and carried Darwin inside to lay him on the small camp bed he found. Then he drove the car another good five miles further, left it there and jogged back to the cabin, carrying the big first aid kit he had found in the car.

Exhausted and even more tired than before he barred the door, walked over to Darwin's sleeping form, and collapsed to his knees. They finally were in a safe place.

There wasn't much Jared could do for Darwin except taking care of the injuries he could fix, so he summoned the last bits of energy to rummage through the first aid kit. He found a bottle of medical morphine and syringes and injected Darwin with a dosage that would have been deadly for a mere human and definitely enough to drug a hurt werewolf into submission. Every injury he'd treat would be just as much torture as when Darwin had gotten them and Jared hated the thought of hurting him too much to do without anesthesia.

It felt wrong to undress Darwin like this, with the stench of pain in the air and the intermittent sounds of broken bones grinding against each other. It sickened Jared and it ruined the last twinge of thrill of seeing him naked again. This was not how Jared had imagined it happening, not even close. Seeing all the cuts and the giant bruises on his skin only made it worse. Jared shivered with rage, with helpless worry, trying not to think about the amount of force it would have taken to get this far. Whatever notion of heroism or romance he had held before, treating those kinds of injuries snuffed them out and left him gagging and close to tears.

Just as he started working on the last injuries - the broken fingers -, Darwin began to move, if in a sluggish and weak way.

Those beautiful ice-blue eyes opened and moved aimlessly over the ceiling, the walls and finally Jared, but there was no recognition in them. He didn't even seem to register Jared's presence, much less his own pain when he tried to sit up.

"If they'd told me morphine would make you trip like this, I'd have waited," Jared said to get Darwin's attention and grinned faintly. It was bloody relieving to see that much life in the boy, even though he still seemed pretty out of it. Instead of reacting to the words Darwin started to move his fingers, which were all but puree-ed, and even though he didn't seem to feel actual pain, his body started wavering a bit.

Jared got the first plaster bandage ready and tried again. "Do you remember where you are?" he asked, and grabbed Darwin's left arm to tend to his fingers.

Finally there was an answer, although none that made sense. "It is very bright here. I don't like the roses," Darwin mumbled sluggishly, and tried to curl the fingers Jared had just encased with plaster.

Jared nearly cursed with frustration when the wet plaster bent a bit. "Stop moving around, you're making it worse!" He quickly picked up more of the coated bandages and finished the other fingers, including the rest of Darwin's Hand just to be sure.

And just when Jared thought he finally had Darwin's cooperation that insufferable guy started moving his right hand. "I said stop moving, damn it," Jared cursed, and grabbed his wrist.

"I love you," Darwin whispered. Then he collapsed again.

Jared blinked. "Wait, what?"

 

 

~*Darwin*~

He lay in a bed of roses. No, not a bed of roses, but a bed with white satin sheets, covered with uncountable numbers of rose petals. The air was mild, if a bit cool, and the soft breeze stroked his body every so often, making the hairs on his arms and chest stand up where they met the wind. The room was so very white, he felt blinded by it, but it didn't matter. He sat up, brushed a few of the beautiful petals from his abs and thighs, and looked around confusedly. There was nothing else in this snow white room, only the bed, the bright red petals, and himself.

His fingers felt numb, so he balled them into fists a few times, and the world began to swim and wobble. His vision blurred, just like on a broken camera, but when he sat still for a few heartbeats, it stopped and everything came into focus again. Then the contrasts grew more and more intense, the piercing white started hurting in his eyes, and the red splotches on the bed sheets turned darker and darker, burning themselves into his vision.

"If they'd told me morphine would make you trip like this, I'd have waited."

The voice came out of nowhere, dull and amphoric, but Darwin recognized it. He knew the owner of the voice, he just couldn't quite pinpoint who it was. Although it made Darwin's heart race with some unknown emotion, in the place he was, that strange feeling made no sense. There was no reason to feel something like panic, or joy, right? And if there was, he would have been told by...

He couldn't remember, and it didn't matter.

He licked his lips, only to find them already wet with a thick, tasteless fluid that had turned sticky on the edges. He wanted to ask why everything was so damn bright, but he just didn't seem to be able to grasp his own thoughts, and put them into words.

It was the strangest feeling.

"Do you remember where you are?"

That voice again. It made him shiver with anticipation, but somehow it pulled words out of his spinning mind.

"It is very bright here. I don't like the roses," Darwin mumbled, because it was the first thing that came to his mind. He couldn't have stopped his blabbering if his life depended on it.

Something tugged at his left arm, but when he turned his head he didn't see anything.

"Stop moving around, you're making it worse." That voice again. Darwin realized he liked that voice, because it filled this strange place with giddy feelings and happiness. The fingers on his left hand became stiff, so he tried his right arm again.

The world wavered again. "I said stop moving, damn it!" said the voice again, and Darwin smiled happily.

"I love you," he said, and sighed. Then everything went away once more.

 

#

The world was back to normal when Darwin woke up again. This particular 'normal' included throbbing pain throughout his whole body, but it was a healthy, stable agony, filled with the scent of sunshine and wood, and it was warm and cozy. He still couldn't use his right eye, but this time it didn't hurt in that alarming way it had before, it just... hurt.

His hands felt heavy and he couldn't move his fingers, but that also was somehow calming. A bandage enclosed his stomach and back, another one went around his upper left thigh, and a blanket covered his body, giving warmth.

Another source of warmth was the massive body right next to him. Darwin could feel a broad back touching his elbow and it sent him into a state of sudden panic. Gasping for air, he tried sitting up, but all he accomplished was rousing that other body from sleep and into full alarm.

"What's wrong? Do you hurt?" a voice rasped, drowsy but attentive. The body moved until Jared's face came into view.

Jared, of all people.

Darwin tried to back away, to get some kind of distance between him and that way too attractive bastard, but the wall was right at his back and the pain stopped him from getting up. "Where am I? What are you doing here?" A short pause, then he barked angrily, "And why the fuck are you naked!"

The answer was an irritatingly slow grin, but at least Jared rolled off the small camp bed they both had occupied and grabbed his ripped trousers. "We're in a hunting cabin somewhere east of Banes." He put on the trousers, stood up, and walked through the tiny room to a shelf filled with what seemed to be canned goods. Then he declared, "I saved you, that's why I'm here." Grabbing a can of peaches and a can opener he turned and showed a dazzling smile, answering the last non-question. "I was naked to give you more skin contact. You were shivering."

For a few seconds, Darwin was speechless and just watched Jared as the bigger male cranked open the can. Only when Jared walked back to the bed Darwin woke from his trance and turned his eyes away.

"You saved my life. Thank you."

The camp bed creaked when Jared settled his weight onto the edge. He peeled the can lid open. "Don't mention it. You must be hungry. Here." A shiny slice of peach hovered into Darwin's line of sight, held up by two fingers. Somehow it made him angry.

"I can eat without your help, damn it!" he protested, and lifted his arms, only to find himself confronted with plaster cast and ultimately useless fingers. The peach wobbled a bit, then sunk down to touch his lips.

"Stop being a fairy and eat," Jared scolded, stuffing Darwin's opening mouth with the peach slice before he could protest any more. The food felt so unbelievably good going down, he didn't try to speak again until the can was empty. When he finally felt full, he was drowsy and tired and had a hard time not falling asleep on the spot.

"Why didn't Harry come?" he mumbled as his eyelids drooped more and more.

"Because that guy would have killed him, right after finishing you off," Jared said. The words haunted Darwin into the darkness of sleep.

 

 

~*Jared*~

The fever came a few hours after Darwin had fallen asleep again. Jared had expected it, since werewolves heated up like standalone radiators when healing and Darwin had suffered innumerable injuries. It would take his body days--if not weeks--to heal completely, and even though the injuries themselves had not killed the submissive wolf, the fever seemed to be trying to correct that oversight.

When Darwin's temperature climbed over 102 °F in the afternoon of the following day, Jared finally had to admit that wet rags and cold sponge baths weren't going to quite cut it. Grabbing his own phone he went through Darwin's clothing to hunt for his phone, then walked outside to get better reception and dialed Harry's number from his own cell.

It took a while for Harry to answer, but eight persistent rings later he finally picked up. "Hello?" Harry mumbled with a soggy voice that told stories of tears and sleepless nights. Very melodramatic, Jared thought to himself, but he didn't let his impatience be heard.

"It's me, Jared. I found Darwin, but he's hurt," Jared said without thinking. When he heard Harry hyperventilate on the other end of the line, he instantly wanted to kick himself. Way to go breaking that news!

"Where are you? Where is he? Can I talk to him?" Harry's sudden spurt of fear was audible enough to make Jared clench his teeth in jealousy. How dare that little Texan twink have feelings for his heartthrob, damn him! But the last few days had been a good learning experience for Jared, and he managed to swallow his anger enough to keep it out of his words, if not his voice.

"No you can't. He's got healing fever, and it's getting worse, so I need you to do something for me. Are you listening?" he barked into the phone. Harry shut up instantly, but Jared could hear the soft crunching of the phone's plastic casing being squeezed tightly.

"What do you need?" Harry finally hissed, barely able to control his agitation.

"I need Ibuprofen, as concentrated as you can get it. Some clothes from my room, something for Darwin too. And some light food. Can you manage that?" Jared knew he was being curt with the only person able to help him and Darwin, but try as he might, he couldn't keep the demanding note out of his voice. It was like some newly evolved instinct to command instead of ask, and he just couldn't control it.

The phone crunched again, then Harry finally answered. "Yes. Send me the coordinates. It'll take me an hour to get the stuff together, but I'll hurry."

Jared could hear thousand questions in Harry's voice, but fortunately he didn't ask anything else. He just hung up with a short "See you," and got into gear.

 

#

Ninety minutes later Darwin started to twitch and mumble in his feverish sleep. It brought Jared to his side in a split second, even though he couldn't do anything except change the wet cloth on Darwin's head. The injured werewolf was still burning up with waves of crippling fever, but he opened his eyes and blinked confusedly at Jared.

"What's going on?" Darwin croaked, disoriented and exhausted. The sheets and the pillow were soaked through with sweat, but Jared hadn't been able to coax Darwin to drink more than a few meager sips. Seeing his chance he now jumped to the opportunity.

Grabbing a water bottle Jared scooted closer, grabbed for Darwin and gently pulled him onto his lap. "You have healing fever. Don't worry, I've already sent for drugs. Here, drink something," he purred calmingly and unscrewed the bottle top.

Darwin on the other hand didn't seem to think of thirst as a priority and tried shoving Jared's arm away. "No, don't call my father. He'll tell Carl! It's all your fault, everything..."

Suddenly he seemed too exhausted to keep rambling, and Jared tried again to offer some water. This time Darwin actually drank greedily and seemed to calm down a little, or maybe he was just too tired to keep struggling.

Darwin's feverishly hot back rested against Jared's naked chest. It felt strangely good to hold him, even though sweat started to rub off onto Jared's skin, leaving itchy spots he couldn't scratch if he wanted to keep Darwin where he was. But there was something else, something Jared didn't want to feel because it was more than inappropriate--arousal. Deep, heavy, sensual arousal, fueled by the smell of Darwin's body.

Jared felt his cock swell and press snugly against Darwin's back, where it responded to his body heat with a happy pulse. For a few moments he thought about moving his crotch away from his nearly unconscious charge, but as soon as he started the careful maneuver Darwin whimpered softly and scooted back with instinctual need for body contact. It was the sweetest of tortures not to be able to stop the richness of Darwin's smell from seeping into his mind, but also not to be able to put a hand to himself and end the throbbing erection he was now sporting.

And to add to Jared's inner turmoil, an unknown calmness and satisfaction suddenly overwhelmed him, soothing his nervous thoughts and his restlessness, pushing away the need to relieve his lust that instant. A good dose of morphine couldn't have gotten him this calm this fast, but even though it baffled Jared, he accepted it gratefully.

So this was what having a submissive calm you down felt like.

With a slow grin Jared ruffled Darwin's sweaty hair, pulled him closer carefully, and let the calm overwhelm him, promising to himself to be up and about as soon as he heard Harry arrive. But until then, why not enjoy peace?

 

 

~*Darwin*~

Darwin awoke to a mixture of incredibly hot moisture on his entire body, and the ruthless glare of the sun coming through the window of the other side of the hut. He felt sweaty, thirsty, tired and weak, and the pains in his body were still there. The hurt he was feeling actually meant he was still alive, so that at least was a good thing, but the other inconveniences of his awakening were pretty unpleasant.

Something silky smooth but hard pressed into his back at an awkward angle, but Darwin didn't think much of it--at least until he moved, and a low grunt made him aware of the other person lying in the bed right beneath him.

Jared. Always Jared.

Sitting up that quick was definitely not a good idea, but much to Darwin's surprise it didn't make his bones crunch or cause him to black out. The pain did flare like an angry, startled, snarling dog, but it proved to be way less intense than the last time he had tried such a stunt. Obviously his body had already healed quite a bit, which on the other hand meant he had been unconscious for an immeasurably long time.

His movement also woke up Jared, who lay on the cot like a lazy, sun-kissed tiger. Darwin took in the broad, muscular chest, the light fleece of blond hairs trailing down from his navel to the waistband of his ripped jeans, the obvious signs of sweat and the pinkish traces where their bodies had been in close contact throughout the night. It was a sight to behold, but even as Darwin felt his pupils dilate with sheer lust he got angry.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" he bellowed harshly, and jumped up from the cot. There was a bit of vertigo and some tottering to keep his balance, but he managed to stay on his feet. His humiliation would have been complete if he had fallen down face forward, only to be rescued once again by the infuriating Alpha.

Jared didn't seem to hear the upset in Darwin's voice and just smiled lazily. "Me? I didn't do anything. You went all submissive on me. How was I supposed to defend myself against that?" he replied and scratched his belly.

Darwin's eyes unthinkingly followed the fingers on their path through the golden trickle of hair leading further down and he wrinkled his nose. As much as the human tried to stop it from happening, the wolf in him scented Jared greedily and was rewarded with a big whiff of musk that went straight to his dick, morphing his insides into jelly. It made thinking clearly nearly impossible.

A few seconds of silence ticked by, then Darwin swallowed saliva and growled: "I didn't do anything, how could I? I was unconscious as you well know!"

He meant the words to sound stern and reprimanding, but they came out lame and insecure, not unlike the bark of a surprised Pekingese.

"That you were. But when I tried to get off the cot you practically clung to me and wouldn't let me go, and then there was this strange calm that made me want to stay and just relax. I fell asleep from it, and I wouldn't do that under normal circumstances, so don't tell me you didn't do anything," Jared replied dryly and turned his gaze away. He didn't seem to be comfortable lying on the cot anymore. He got up in a fluid motion and walked to the shabby door to pull it open.

A fresh breeze of much cooler air wafted into the small hut, bringing relief to both of them. Darwin would have liked to go out into the cool, sunny morning, but he would have had to pass Jared in close proximity. He didn't want to do that so soon. Jared's words made Darwin even queasier than before. He knew pretty well what Jared was talking about but didn't want to accept it so easily.

"I didn't submit to you," he hissed, trying to fight down the fearful tone in his voice. The thought of giving up control to someone as dangerous as Jared nearly made him panic. He couldn't lose control. He mustn't!

"I didn't say you did," Jared said. He turned around to face Darwin, leaning against the door frame as the morning breeze blew by. A few rays of sunlight caught in his blond hair and made it all shiny and sparkly, giving his head an aura. 'Like a fucking angel,' Darwin thought gloomily and crossed his casted arms as firmly as possible. It was hard not to fidget under those curious, intense eyes, but Darwin had a lot of practice.

"That's good, because I didn't!" Darwin snapped angrily, then added, "and I won't. Never!"

The words were out before Darwin could stop himself. Once said he couldn't take them back, even though they sounded childish as hell. Something about Jared made him moody and bitchy and confused as hell, but even as Jared played him like a fiddle he couldn't just drop his year-old camouflage and stop playing a dominant. His instincts screamed and begged for him to just let it go and take what he knew he wanted, needed, but every time he got the chance to do just that he backed out like a wimp.

"Never?" Jared asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Never." Another chance missed. Darwin started to hate himself more than he hated Jared.

Again there were a few seconds of silence, then a soft laugh. "Fine with me. I like challenges," Jared said with a big grin on his face, and pushed away from the door to walk over to the table. A tiny hill of wallets, keys, and mobile phones sat on it, right next to a big first aid kit that seemed to have been plundered by barbarians, its contents mixed up or strewn across the one small chair and the floor. Jared picked up both phones, activated the displays and then scowled. "Hm."

That small sound was enough to set Darwin off again, even though he didn't know why. "What! What is it this time?" he snapped and sat down on the cot heavily. His wounds protested with sharp stabs of pain, but they settled down quickly.

This time Jared didn't answer with his normal infuriating amusement. He didn't answer at all, but dialed a number and put the phone to his ear, listening to it ringing.

"Who could be so goddamn important that you're calling right in the middle of our fight?" Darwin griped, then turned beet-red when he realized that he was begging for attention in a very unbecoming way.

There was a soft click when someone on the other end of the call picked up, and Jared didn't bother answering Darwin's question, but started talking.

"Hello? Who is this?" he said, sounding alarmed. It made Darwin shut up and listen. He didn't hear the answer, but Jared started to walk around, his face twisting into a stony expression. "Is he alright? How did this happen? ... No, I'm a good friend of his, I was expecting him to visit yesterday but he never turned up," he explained politely, but his face didn't match his voice.

A few more words were exchanged, then the call was ended and Jared stared out the window for a few moments. Briefly he looked exhausted and guilty, but when he turned around to look at Darwin his face gave away nothing.

"Darwin, I'm sorry. Harry somehow went missing from the dorm, they've been looking for him for hours. I think whoever hurt you also got him."

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