Unwilling - 7. I think we're a pack

~*Darwin*~

Through all the shock, the pain and the last remnants of fear Darwin's mind had huddled into a tight ball around one simple problem: why the hell wasn't Jared touching him anymore? The glorious jock usually never hesitated to use any and every chance to paw him whenever he felt like it, but now he seemed actually frightened to do so.

Had Darwin been too snappy in that gas station bathroom? Or maybe his wolf had driven Jared away, just as promised. Whatever the reason, Darwin could sense Jared throw glances at him here and there, but he never did anything more than that.

Jared even had volunteered to walk across town and buy a new car, although that probably had something to do with his credit card. There was a sad possibility that Rayne of the dark skin might get arrested if he tried to buy a brand-new Dodge Nitro with a credit card in someone else's name.

But still, that didn't rule out the possibility that Jared had volunteered just to get away from Darwin. Nibbling on his lower lip he looked through the back window of the Beetle. Harry and Rayne were standing at the trunk deeply immersed in their conversation, and even that made Darwin wince. He had had no chance to reconcile with Harry yet, but Harry seemed to be doing well enough. Without Darwin. With that rogue wolf.

It was petty of him to be jealous, but he felt justified. All of them had lost something, that was true, but Darwin had been the only one to get hurt repeatedly. Nobody seemed to care.

Well, except for Darla, he had bitten her, that counted as hurt. And Jared was out buying a brand new car with money he'd had to borrow from his estranged brother because he had nothing but the clothes on his body. And Rayne had given up his only safe haven to help them. Harry had even been kidnapped because of him, for god's sake!

All of a sudden his egoism made Darwin want to crawl out of his own skin with disgust. When had he started to think like that? No wonder Jared kept his distance, he probably had noticed Darwin's feelings before he himself had.

And adding to all of this was Darwin's acceptance of Jared's superiority. After all, Jared had fallen in love with him when he had still tried to pass as a dominant, and now he was stuck with a whiny, groveling--

The deep honk of a shiny new car ripped him from his self-pity, and not a second too soon. With a shudder he crawled out of the Beetle, threw an instinctual smile at Jared and did his best not to limp too transparently as he walked across the small parking space.

He wanted to help them load whatever goods they had left into the new car but his shoulder still hurt and bled when he tried to lift something heavy, so Jared simply shoved him into the car and told him to wait there as they finished.

Darla was draped onto the back seat this time, and Harry and Rayne took on the job of holding her steady. It left Darwin with the passenger seat next to Jared, and another good chance of getting the Alpha's attention. He'd just have to try harder.

"What are you going to do with your old car?" Darwin asked as they pulled out of the parking lot. The little Beetle looked very forlorn in all that empty space. He wouldn't miss the cramped space, but the car had enough character to look like a lost puppy.

Jared sighed, then threw a short glance into the back mirror. "I don't know. It depends on how long we're going to stay away. I'd hate to lose it to be honest, it's my first car."

Rayne hummed sympathetically. "First one's always the hardest. I still remember when I-"

"When are you going to tell us about that pack in Canada?" Jared interrupted gruffly, taking a moment to look at Rayne's dark face in the rear view mirror. Darwin could see those hard lines reappear on the jock's face. They were new, having started to appear only since Carl's pack had gone on the offensive and started to attack them. They were strong lines, very male, but also very sad to see. Jared looked positively cold, like a winter sun.

Rayne was silent for a moment, long enough to make Darwin put up with the pain in his shoulder and look back. The dark one looked down at Darla's face, obviously trying to come up with the best way to start. It was unusual to see him at a lack of words, and Darwin would have liked it on any other given day. This day he wanted to crawl back and shake him.

"I think it's best I tell you how I myself met them, maybe that will be enough to make you understand why Carl's plan will never work," he finally said, sorting through Darla's hair.

"It was six years ago, and I was very new to this whole pack thing. At eighteen you don't really think about the future the same way you do at twenty-one, or any time after that, and I had nobody to talk sense into me. My first pack didn't want me anymore, so I decided to find out about a legend, the same one Carl heard. A story about some pack up north that was somehow different, more powerful than any other pack."

He hesitated for a moment, smiling tightly. "I wanted to be strong, I wanted power more than anything. If my parents had been stronger, they wouldn't have been killed by hunters, I told myself. And since I didn't want to die, this was the way I chose."

Darwin huddled into his seat. George had always told him that there was such a thing as hunters, especially when he told the story of how he had found him as a kid. His adoptive father was quite sure that the wolf who had bitten him had been hunted and killed by the men who called themselves hunters because they never found him. It had kept their pack in hiding for weeks before they dared to show themselves in their wolf shapes again.

"It took weeks to get to the Canadian border. I didn't have a passport or visa, but you know, such things don't stop a wolf. The hunger was a bigger problem, especially because it was salmon season and there were bears everywhere." Again Rayne hesitated, then he took a deep breath and added, "and you can probably guess where this is going. I was near death and ripped to shreds when one of the mythical werewolves found me. I have no idea how he carried me to that hunting cabin, he was slightly smaller than Harry and sinewy like a teenager, but he did. And he patched me up too."

Jared huffed and slowed the car to enter the highway. "Very magical, but so far I can't find anything unusual in that," he grumbled.

White teeth flashed as Rayne grinned. "When I asked him if I could join his pack, he said no. I asked why," he threw a glance at Jared's profile and finished, "he said, because they're all Alphas."

The words didn't register at first because the sentence made little sense. There was no dumbfounded silence or gasps of shock, just the slightly embarrassed rustle of clothing as they all changed position. After a short while Harry piped in.

"What do you mean? They had more than one Alpha?" He sounded as nonplussed as Darwin felt.

"No, I mean they are all Alphas. Every single one of them."

Flitting his gaze from Harry to Rayne and finally to Jared, Darwin saw the deep frown lines form above his brows. "That wouldn't work. I'm from a family with three Alphas, my dad, my brother and myself, and we nearly killed each other for years. I had to leave because it got so bad. Alphas don't mix." The words sounded angry, and Jared shook his head animatedly. "No way."

Rayne went back to stroking Darla's hair, again looking down at her with hazed eyes. "I couldn't believe it myself. Hector, my savior, tried to explain it to me but it just sounded too ludicrous. I wanted to come to his pack house and see it myself, but he wouldn't let me. He even threatened me with death if I tried to go near them. You wanna guess why?"

All three of them waited for a few seconds for him to go on, but he only answered his question when Darwin sucked in air to ask the obvious.

"He said, because they're all Alphas, no dominant or submissive is allowed anywhere near them. As soon as that happens, they would start fighting over them, sooner or later, but most likely sooner. Hector said the only reason their pack works is because there simply is nothing to fight over. Then he gave me three-hundred bucks and stuffed me into the next bus home."

Another silence swallowed the car when Rayne ended his little tale. Jared still frowned and his hands kneaded the steering wheel with a vengeance, Harry was too nervous to pitch in and Darwin was too busy watching them all shy away from the next logical question.

Finally he relented because someone had to. "Fine. Let's say your tale is true. Are we still going there? I mean, they would take Jared, but we're still fucked." And he really didn't want to give up Jared, although he didn't say that out loud.

Surprisingly it was Rayne who answered, not Jared. "Yes. We have to go there. They know things about Alpha powers. Things we'll need if we want to defeat Carl. That's still what we're trying to achieve, right?"

Darwin nodded, chewing on his lower lip as he looked over to Jared. His expression hadn't changed a bit, and it worried him. In the end it was Jared who would decide what they would do or not do, he was their Alpha.

"Fine. Sounds good to me. Just tell me where to go."

~*Jared*~

There was a special place in hell reserved for car seat designers, Jared was sure. Ten hours of constant driving in an unfamiliar car had set his back on fire in a way he wouldn't wish on his worst enemies, and they still had a ways to go. At least Carl's men wouldn't follow them this far, and at the moment they were as safe as they could ever hope to be.

The climate was fresher, colder and somewhat wetter here, and the constant scent of ice, pine resin and wet sand hung in the air. It smelled clean and healthy, and like a very bad place to be in winter. They parked beneath some trees next to another gas station with all heaters on a low, steady blow, and everyone was asleep except for Jared and Rayne.

Jared didn't want to take his eyes off Rayne, who still huddled into the phone booth on his hunt for a phone number on his 'friend' Hector, but a soft, constant snoring right next to his elbow beckoned him to turn his head.

He had been so good until now, keeping his hands to himself, giving Darwin all the space he needed to collect himself off the metaphoric floor, but the need to get closer was increasingly hard to ignore. It just didn't seem natural not to touch Darwin, his mate, his partner, especially when he was so distressed. But Jared had promised to behave. Behaving himself included not groping a wounded man, even if he was snoring cutely.

He smiled down at the black haired boy curled up in the passenger seat. A strand of hair hung into his face and Jared unthinkingly brushed it away. Darwin felt hot, nearly feverish, but nothing close to the fever he'd had in the cabin two days ago. He didn't need to worry about his body, but Jared knew the emotions Darwin seemed to go through.

A distance was growing between them, and Jared didn't know how to stop it. Maybe it was natural to feel alienated after so much violence and stress, but that didn't make it any easier on their relationship. Brushing his thumb over Darwin's cheek Jared sighed. Why couldn't things just go back to being easy and light like before?

The back door opened and Rayne piled into the car, waking everyone but Darla with the sound of the door slamming shut. Jared quickly pulled away his hand and tried to look inconspicuous, but Rayne had probably seen him pet Darwin like a love-sick fool before he even got into the car. Damn it.

"I got it. I even talked to Hector directly, although he didn't remember me. He's meeting us at some place about 120 miles north, right near the border. Since you're the only one with a passport, we'll have to stay on US-soil, but Hector says he knows just the place for us," Rayne babbled excitedly and shoved a piece of paper through the gap between the front seats. "Here's the address for the meet. And now I'm gonna take a nap too."

*

Another three hours later the car stopped once more. Rayne explained that Hector wanted to meet Jared on his own and without his pack, seeing as how he didn't have one of his own and wanted to avoid confrontation, so everyone but Jared got to stay in the car.

Walking around after such a long drive was an experience in itself. Jared's back still hurt, but adding to that his feet had fallen asleep sometime in the night. Now he needed to pay close attention where he went to avoid falling onto his face.

The address they had gotten led to a small bar, or diner, depending of the time of day. It looked derelict and dirty, but it also had this kind of homey vibe to it that you only found in the oldest and most worn-out of places, the ones that kept their customers coming back for years and years and showed it.

Jared would not have chosen a place like that to meet a new Alpha. Too many people, too much noise.

Thankfully the diner was nearly empty when he walked in, only filled with stale cigarette smoke and the distinct smell of spilled beer. Some scents stuck to a surface like glue, and no amount of cleaning could do anything about it. There were only five people inside, and one of them was a grumpy looking bartender with a beer gut. Two men were sitting at the counter and brooding over their glasses, which left Jared with a biker-type guy at one table to the left, and another thin, lithe and kind of geeky looking guy on the other. But which one was Hector?

Only one way to find out.

Jared let go of the control over his powers just a little, just enough to tickle where it met with another werewolf's powers. At the same time he kept a careful eye on both contestants, waiting for a reaction.

One heart beat later four guys stared at him with open curiosity. It wasn't friendly interest, more like the way a sated wolf watched a bunny hop by. The single person not looking at him seemed to be the skinny guy, but it still meant he was standing in a room chock-full of werewolves, who now knew what he was. Shit.

Jared swallowed. "Ahm," he stuttered, "I'm looking for Hector." Best say something before they decided to treat him like the intruder he was. He carefully turned to the four men, keeping the door and the last man at his back. If they decided to attack, he would be able to flee, or so he hoped.

"You must be Jared," a nice, firm voice said from behind. It was like magic. The voice spoke, and the next moment all four werewolves lost interest in him, turning back to their drinks and respective tasks.

Jared turned around to face the one man he hadn't thought about as a real danger, feeling foolish. The slim, lithe man at the table waved him over, but Jared had to do a double-take before he believed his eyes. The one Alpha actually in the room with him looked small and harmless, young like a high school graduate, and probably fit beneath Jared's chin, but the way the others reacted to him indicated power. It was hard to connect the way Hector looked with any kind of influence, but there it was, for everyone to see.

Hector grinned boyishly at the expression on Jared's face. "Yes, I often get reactions like that," he mused, and pointed invitingly at the seat across from him. "Please, have a seat. Let us be civilized monsters."

It took Jared a good few seconds to shake off the astonishment and get moving. He slipped into the seat with careful movements, slower than he would have moved with friends, making every gesture deliberate and easy to follow. Hector observed him intently as he got seated, raising an eyebrow at his behavior.

"You seem to have experience with Alphas," he finally stated, and gave an approving nod. "That's a rare feat. Most of us die before we can learn from our mistakes."

This time Jared had to smile. "I have years of experience with Alphas. There were two in my family," he explained and leaned back with what he hoped looked like casual amusement. Two Alphas meeting could go bad so easily, it was best to start with the most phlegmatic, good-natured mood possible. It made the way down to violence that much longer.

"There 'were'?" Hector cocked his head.

"Well, I had to leave my family because of the tension between us, and my father died in a car crash two years ago, but my brother is still alive. I can't go back. And I don't have a reason to anymore."

The bartender arrived with pencil and paper at the ready and grumbled something unintelligible. Jared interpreted it as an invitation to order. "I'd like coffee with milk and one sugar, and baked beans with crispy bacon and scrambled eggs please," he said, and the burly man shuffled away.

Jared fixed his eyes on Hector's face, but not on his eyes. "Are those people from your pack?" he asked, sounding curious. They didn't feel like Alphas, but one could never be sure.

"No. They are from the local pack. Their Alpha stays with us for a few days every month, so he owes me. He's allowed you to stay as a guest if you agree to come to Crystal Peak every day. And if I agree to you staying here, of course." Hector smiled at that, and there was something in it, something like humor and spite mixed together. He looked wary, like someone whose optimism had been worn down to sarcasm with a smile.

Jared's coffee arrived and he took a deep sip, reminded of how tired he was by the flavor. The coffee was heavenly, with real cream and real sugar, something to enjoy instead of gulping it down for the boost.

Hector's eyes never left his face as he tasted the coffee. He watched like a student learning the secrets of drinking a hot beverage, and he watched like a vulture waiting for the last twitch from a wounded animal. It was a challenge to Jared, and an obvious one at that. Fights had broken out between pack members for less, but Hector surely knew that, or wouldn't he?

It took nearly a minute before he'd had enough. Then Jared set down the cup with an audible click, returning the stare directly now. "Why are you trying to provoke me?" he asked, still trying to sound reasonable and pleasant. He'd had too much fighting in the last few days to want another conflict, but that didn't mean he would back down or cower.

Hector held his stare for a few more moments, then he stretched languidly and turned his gaze to the bartender, who was carrying two plates towards them. It looked accidental, but it wasn't. He also didn't answer instantly, but waited for the food to arrive and the waiter to go. His plate held French fries drizzled with some kind of blackish-brown sauce. Little crumbles of cheese floated in the liquid and melted over the fries. It looked like a horrible, tragic kitchen accident and smelled like greasy heaven.

Hector started his meal without hesitation, and he seemed to like the dreadful stuff. "I wanted to see how well you control your instincts, and if you know how to act when someone challenges you," he mumbled around a fork-full of dripping fries. He swallowed and added, "and I wanted to find out if you want to join so bad you would debase yourself to get in."

Jared frowned, but Hector just grinned and shrugged.

"What would you have done if I had attacked you?" Jared finally grumbled and started to eat himself. The eggs were heavenly, as were the baked beans and the bacon, but the food also made him remember how tired he was again, just like the coffee before.

"I would have hurt you, maybe killed you," Hector replied calmly. His brown eyes held only warmth, but it was the warmth of a forge, ready to melt and burn if you got too close.

Jared wanted to protest or joke about those ominous words, but sitting there and staring at that geeky face, the brown unkempt hair, the small shoulders and thin arms, he still believed it. The possibility for violence was there, right next to that slow, simmering heat and the calm, confident voice.

"I believe you would. I'll even believe you could, but that brings me to another problem," Jared finally replied calmly. "What about my pack? Where are they going to stay, will they be safe there, and what happens to them if I get killed?"

Hector smiled like Jared had said something intelligent at last. He shoved the last of his soggy fries into his mouth, chewed heartily and swallowed, then he waved for the check. "Your pack can stay at one of our holiday cabins next to the border. It's up in the mountains and at this time of the year nobody goes up there but us. They will be left alone as long as they behave like guests are supposed to. And if you get killed for whatever reason, I personally will make sure they are accepted into a pack of their liking. Sound fair?"

For a few heart beats Jared just stared down at his half eaten food, trying hard to process Hector's words. Maybe he was too tired to find the catch, but the whole arrangement sounded good. Heavenly even. Like a chance to finally relax and get their wits about them. If there was a flip side to Hector's offer, Jared just couldn't see it.

He put the fork down and nodded. "Sounds fair. I accept the terms like you explained them. But we'll need one day to sleep, rest, eat and calm down before I start my trips to your pack."

Hector climbed out of the booth and dropped a few bills onto the table. "Fine with me. One day for you, so we start the day after tomorrow. I'll call you with the details of where and when this evening, so stay near the phone. Now get your pack to the cabin before you drop down where you stand, you look like the living dead."

His soft laughter followed him outside, and Jared was left sitting there and staring at his plate. Only when the bartender grunted and put a piece of paper onto the table did he snap out of his trance and got up. On the paper he found an address and a phone number with 'Glacier View Holiday Resort' written next to it. At least the cabins had a picturesque name, promising to be a good place to recuperate.

There was nothing else to say, so he didn't. He walked outside and got into the car to drive the last leg of a journey he didn't want to go on ever again.

~*~

They settled into a holiday cabin far away from the main building. It didn't look like one of those small hunting cabins or cinder block huts movies sometimes showed, but more of a small, roomy and romantic holiday bungalow, complete with three rooms, a kitchenette, a balcony and a pier leading onto a smallish lake. Getting Darla into the house proved to be a challenge, her convulsions having given way to delirious, feverish resistance, but Rayne managed. He looked like someone who had seen it before and wasn’t impressed. Jared was confident he'd manage whatever Darla was going to dish out, so he let them do their thing without interfering. One problem down, dozens to go.

They didn’t have any luggage to carry in, and it left the three of them walking around looking confused and disoriented for a few moments. Harry finally turned and followed Rayne into the cabin. Jared could hear him talking to their new companion, then the sounds of kitchenware clanking and clattering took over, accompanied by the soft hiss of the gas stove and the soft murmur of voices.

Darwin had sat down at the wooden stairs by the front porch. He looked scrumptious even though the baggy sweat pants and Jared's sweater flapped around his lithe body like curtains. He was pale and silent and statuesque in his stillness, fixated on the cool, pale mountain sky. The bullet wounds had stopped bleeding, but the bite wounds on his arms and his throat would need another day or two before Jared would be able to stop worrying about them. Or other things involving his mate.

The need to go to him, to touch him, smell him, feel his skin had gotten nearly overwhelming at this point. It moved through him like a wave of adrenaline, similar to the almost painful tightening in his abdomen when he was aroused, but not quite the same. For a few moments he tried to fend off the instinct, but all he got for his efforts was a sense of restlessness and irritation. He was simply too tired to keep fighting.

With a low growl he gave in, stomping stiffly to the stairs and the huddled form sitting on them.

The growl also broke Darwin's daydreaming, and he turned his head to watch Jared's approach. There was still nothing in his pale face, no emotion, no life, no fear or joy. He looked shaken, exhausted, and fed up to the point of not giving a damn about anything anymore.

Jared hated that expression. It made him bare his teeth.

As soon as his shadow touched Darwin's body, the black haired werewolf leaned back, turned his head away and bared his throat, all without any change of expression. It was a submissive gesture, plain to see and without any wiggling room for interpretation, but Jared froze nonetheless.

"Stop that." He fought to keep the impatience out of his voice and managed to sound just crisp instead of angry. Anger wouldn't get them anywhere right now.

Darwin didn't seem to have the same qualms. "Stop what?" he asked with a level voice that somehow managed to hold a lot of blame.

"Stop doing that. Stop acting like the 'submissive of the year'. It's not you," Jared growled. At the same time he realized how he must have looked, stomping over, growling, baring his teeth, tense with irritation. The realization softened his face and took the edge off his anger, and with a sigh he turned sideways and sank onto the stairs next to Darwin. "Just tone the submissive display down, okay? I didn't mean it like that," he added with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Darwin's eyes were ungracious, but he stopped showing his throat and sat up again. "Maybe you think you don't, I'll give you that. But all Alphas are the same when it comes to power. Once you got it, you'll use it. I'm just preparing myself."

"Why are you punishing me for something I never had any control over? I didn't choose to be Alpha, just like you didn't choose to be submissive. We are what we are, but we also are what we always were. Nothing has changed!" Jared had never spoken those words aloud before. It was funny having to defend something he had always despised himself, but somehow his problems had started to look insignificant and small the more he found out about the other side of the coin. About Darwin's side.

Unfortunately sitting next to Darwin didn't stop the itching in his mind, it just got stronger.

Darwin at least had the grace to look guilty, clueless to Jared's plight. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. It just irks me to know that you wouldn't change what I am if you could. That you like me being submissive even though I hate it so much." He was silent for a moment, but it was a thick, desperate silence, filled with unspoken words. Then a wave of helpless anger washed over his face, disappearing as quick as it had come.

Darwin husked, "I hate even more how much I like doing... these things. It gives me pleasure to show you my throat, it feels almost electrifying to see you react to it. To see you soften and calm down. It's a rush that I could get addicted to, and that frightens me even more."

Jared held his breath for a moment, trying to digest those revelations. His body took some time to decide between the rush of sudden lust boiling up at the thought of Darwin getting pleasure from submitting to him, and the pang of surprise that submitting did actually bring pleasure instead of just being an instinct you simply followed. Dominating other werewolves held perverse pleasure for him, pleasure that was so intimate and private that he wouldn't talk about it to anyone but Darwin, but he had never thought about the experience from another point of view.

Another wave of prickling need rushed over his back and along his arms right into his fingertips, and this time the intensity was enough to make the sensation almost painful.

He must have made some kind of noise, because Darwin's face changed to a probing glance. "Are you hurt?" he asked cautiously.

Darwin's worry fueled the need to touch him. Jared whimpered, slowly scooting closer to him, slow enough to give him a chance to flee if he wanted to. The smell of wounds, blood, exhaustion, cheap gas station soap and Darwin's unique smell filled Jared's head until he felt dizzy with sensory overload, and had to close his eyes for a moment.

"Jared, look at me!" Darwin commanded, and touched his shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

That one small touch was enough to break down the last of Jared's self-restraint. A soft sound escaped his throat, then he rushed forward and wrapped both arms around Darwin's body, very careful not to press down on his wounds, not to move him too much, but desperate to get as much body contact as possible.

The feeling of Darwin's lithe form against his own made him shiver with relief. He made another sound low in his throat, dangerously similar to a contented huff, and nearly missed the small relieved sigh coming from the man in his arms. He didn't dare comment on it, but smiled silently. Maybe he wasn't the only one on edge. Maybe his mate just hid it better.

"Now I'm not hurt anymore," he whispered, not even trying to keep the satisfaction out of his voice.

"That's good. So, are you going to say something in return?" It was hard to be sure, but Darwin sounded better than before. Maybe he really felt it too, that strange need to be close, the irritation when they were apart, all of it.

Jared mulled it over, allowing his hand to stroke Darwin's flank just a little, enough not to spook him and ruin the moment.

"I would, but..." He let the word trail off, turned his head and rubbed his nose against the crook of Darwin's neck, "... there is nothing to say. I wouldn't change you for the world, sorry. You are perfect. Perfect for me."

He meant it, and with those words spoken aloud a mixture of anger and joy rippled through him. Darwin didn't reply though. For a second Jared feared they would argue again, but then Darwin sighed and stood up.

Jared clung to him until they both were on their feet again, then he let go. The itching didn't return, a good sign.

"I think Harry is trying to cook dinner. If you don't want to go hungry, we should intercept," Darwin said, and this time his voice sounded light and humorous, almost happy.

Jared returned the small smile playing on Darwin's lips as he climbed the five steps behind him. They were safe, at least for the time being, and regardless of the things that had brought them here, Jared was content with the world.

~*Darwin*~

All the worries and troubles from before vanished the moment Jared hugged him. The jock rubbed his face against Darwin like a big cat, filling Darwin's nose with his scent and his mind with that powerful, calming presence. The feeling titillated him, entrancing in its power, and coming to him so naturally he didn't even notice the change. A second before he had felt threatened and lonely and subdued, and suddenly he let this... this stranger, for lack of a better word, cuddle him like a life-sized teddy bear. And he was content letting him do it.

When they finally broke the connection to stand up Darwin had to remind himself of the things he had just said. How he hated his reaction. How he was sure Jared wouldn't respect him anymore, now that he acted like the submissive he was. He still doubted Jared's reassurances, but he felt better. Not perfect, but better.

"I think Harry is trying to cook dinner. If you don't want to go hungry, we should intercept."

He turned and trotted up the wooden stairs. Jared was following close enough Darwin felt his breath on the back of the neck, but he didn't comment on it. He liked having him this close, but he wasn't going to admit it out loud.

Darwin opened the door and started to step inside, but the view right in front of him made him stop dead in his tracks.

"What the heck?"

Rayne turned his head towards the door, looking decidedly guilty. In front of him and encased by his arms and the kitchen counter stood Harry, beet-red and huffing for breath in a way Darwin recognized as an expression Harry normally reserved for the bedroom. They both seemed at a loss for words.

There was a soft snicker behind Darwin, but he didn't look back. "Are you pawing my best friend?" he asked sharply and stomped into the cabin, making a bee-line for the kitchen corner.

Harry looked panicked, but Rayne didn't twitch a muscle. A small but pleased smile crept over his dark lips as he watched Darwin come closer like a pale, dark-haired storm. It only vanished when Darwin shoved him away, being replaced by anger in the next moment.

Rayne shoved back, and his hand pushed hard against the open wound on Darwin's shoulder. The pained scream was just enough to put Jared into gear, but he didn't manage to catch Darwin before he fell to the ground, groaning in agony.

Holding his shoulder Darwin saw Jared's face scrunch up with anger through a haze of pain, and for a moment he thought the blond hunk would actually hit Rayne. And Rayne looked just as ready to hit back, stupid as it may be. The whole situation only halted when Harry whimpered with fear, cowering against the counter as best as he could, all but sandwiched between Jared and Rayne.

"Stop this," Harry begged with a shivering voice, his eyes closed so hard there were white spots on his eyebrows. "Please stop this, I can't take any more violence. Please!"

It did as much good as it did bad. Jared seemed shocked and ashamed when he saw Harry's fear, but Rayne glowered with anger. He looked like a car owner who had found a scratch on his brand-new Mercedes, Darwin thought, Harry being the Mercedes in this equation. Yes, definitely ownership, not love, not yet. "A submissive attacked me, and you pick his side?" Rayne hissed, and there was tension in his upper body that spoke of anger.

The tension ruined all chances of ending the conflict there and then. Jared stepped close enough to corral him against the counter next to Harry and got right into his face. "If that's all that's needed to startle you, you really should work on your self-confidence, my dark friend. That was a submissive who shoved you, not some big hairy dominant trying to push you around. He was trying to protect his friend because he doesn't know you, and frankly if he hadn't, I would have."

Although Jared spoke with a crisp, hard, but controlled voice, Darwin could see a vein on Jared's temple grow until it stood out like an angry snake. There was no doubt to his conviction when Jared added, "and if you ever shove my mate like that again, I will take it as the challenge it might be. Do we understand each other?"

Rayne tensed his arms until the muscles stood out in stark relief. He wasn't bulky or overly muscled, but it was enough of a show to make Darwin scramble backwards a bit. The air got hard to breathe as both werewolves let go of their tight control over their respective powers, and in a heart beat their presence filled the room to the brim. Darwin didn't want to lie on the floor next to them if they started fighting, but the pain had left a shaky, numbed feeling in his head and he just wasn't sure if he would be able to stand up.

"He had no reason to get physical with me! I didn't do anything Harry didn't want," Rayne growled back, and grabbed Harry's arm with one hand. The grip wasn't painful, but another gesture of ownership. That touch alone told everyone clearly, 'this is mine'. Rayne hadn't earned that gesture in Darwin's book, so he growled, although softly.

Jared grabbed Rayne's arm and pulled his hand away from Harry. "You haven't earned the right to act like this yet," he said firmly, echoing Darwin's thoughts like they were his own. "And I really don't need this kind of tension on the first day we are safe, so you'll keep your hands to yourself until Darwin," Jared pointed to him, "is okay with it. I won't have you ruin their friendship over your libido, and I won't have you stir up trouble in the first week."

Rayne looked livid. "You can't order me to-"

"Excuse me, the tomato sauce is starting to smell burnt. Please go somewhere else for your testosterone tango until I'm finished cooking," Harry suddenly mumbled, trying for cheery even with the slight waver of fear in his voice. It took the tension out of both dominants, much like deflating a balloon. And just like that the fight was over.

Rayne looked at Harry like he had been hurt, but he walked into the main area without another word. Harry went back to stirring the pots with now shaking hands, and Jared waited until Rayne sat down, then helped Darwin up.

"You shouldn't have done that," Jared stated softly but audible for everyone as he supported Darwin and led him towards what Darwin assumed was a bathroom. "You're not a dominant, and you don't need to play the role anymore. Rayne could have hit you instead of just toppling you over, and he would have been in his rights to do it."

Jared didn't sound happy at all, but it was true. It left Darwin angry and helpless but that didn't make the words any less valid. "Would you just shut up and let me sit down? I feel sick," he finally mumbled, but the words sounded as hollow as he felt. He wanted to crawl into a bed and sleep until the day was over, and it had only just begun.

"Fine. I'll check your wound in the bedroom then," Jared huffed and changed course. They both felt Rayne's eyes follow them, but the heat was gone, and with it that neck-ruffling feeling of clashing powers.

Darwin had no glance left for the interior of the bedroom Jared steered him into. He tried to sit down softly, but Jared had to maneuver him like a fragile old man to keep him from blacking out. When Darwin finally lay on the bed he was happy to be conscious. It wasn't that the wound was so bad, and the pain was already fading. It felt more like a deep exhaustion, maybe even late onset of shock, that knocked Darwin on his ass like this.

Jared did his best to work around his state, checked his wound and even helped him out of the sweater to make him more comfortable, but Darwin only noticed half of it. When the door finally shut behind Jared, he already was dozing.

~*~

When Darwin came to again he felt better. The sun still shone outside so he hadn't slept the whole day, and the smell of spaghetti and meat sauce wafted through the gap beneath the door, enticing him to get up and join the others. His shoulder still hurt, but it wasn't as bad as before and the bed rest had helped him regain some of his energy.

He felt positively perky, which was unusual in itself. He was never perky. Grumpy, sarcastic, forward and calculating, yes. But happy? Never. Something was definitely wrong with him. Listening into his own mind he tried to find out what had changed, but there was nothing, no answer echoing from the depths of his muddled mind. There was only the soft tug on his heart, beckoning him to go find Jared and relish the closeness he offered.

Pulling on his sweatshirt he stumbled to the door and opened it just enough to have a look through the gap. Rayne and Jared were sitting at the small dining table next to the kitchen counter, both working their way through a pile of spaghetti. Harry was nowhere to be seen, but Darwin could hear the shower buzzing somewhere in the cabin, and Jared's hair was still wet.

He tried to sneak through the door without being noticed, but it didn't work. As soon as he set one foot outside the bedroom, both pairs of eyes turned to him and gave him a once-over. Jared smiled, Rayne didn't. Darwin didn't hold it against him. After all, he was the reason Rayne's perfectly good evening plans with Harry were ruined. Served him right, for all Darwin cared.

Maybe it showed on his face because as soon as he sat down next to Jared Rayne got up and went to wash his dishes without so much as a second glance. Or maybe Jared and Rayne had had a good, long conversation about how to act around each other, and Darwin still had to have his part of it.

For now, all Darwin cared about was the smell of food coming from the big metal pot in the middle of the table. The food wasn't hot anymore, but still warm enough to savor, and Darwin hadn't eaten anything worth calling 'food' for nearly two days. "Smells good," he murmured more to himself than to Jared as he filled his plate, piling together spaghetti and meat sauce until it started spilling over the rim of the dish.

He felt Jared watching him as he dug in but didn't comment on it. He had been watched continuously for days now, and Jared was finally wearing him down. And since he had agreed to be his mate he had a whole life of being stared at by that hunk ahead of him. If they didn't get killed soon, of course.

Only when Darwin's plate finally showed through the mess of noodles Jared stopped staring and instead leaned back and slid down into a more comfortable sitting position. "I promised Rayne that you wouldn't attack him again," he commented, stretching his arms before he placed his hands behind his head. "And since I'm pretty sure that promise is worth shit, I also told him he'd be allowed to punish you next time. I won't like it, but you're responsible for your own actions and I seem to be the only one forgetting that."

"I can take care of myself," Darwin grumbled, but the words didn't hold their usual bite. In hindsight he'd been damn lucky, and he knew it. Had it been Carl and not Jared, he probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed right now. And seeing as how Rayne had lived his life up until now, he could have reacted worse and nobody would have held a grudge. A dominant who didn't hold his own quickly went down the social ladder, and the deep end was a place worse than anything Darwin had ever experienced, because it didn't let you go once you were there.

There was only one thing he could say in this moment, and it wasn't meant for Jared. Darwin looked across the room to the kitchen sink and watched Rayne's back twitch and tighten under the constant movements of his hands.

"I'm sorry. Shoving you was way out of line." He didn't bother promising not to do it again because he was with Jared on this one. It probably would happen again. Maybe not soon, but some day he'd get into it with Rayne again, and there was no use denying that.

For a few moments Rayne didn't react, but kept washing the dishes. The anger was still visible in his movements, but either Rayne was the most peaceful dominant Darwin had ever seen, or he had already found a solution with Jared because after a short silence he just shrugged. "Alright," he finally answered, and turned off the water.

When Rayne turned around he watched Jared's face for a few heartbeats, then his dark eyes jumped to Darwin. He still looked miffed, but Darwin got the feeling his bad mood wasn't about being shoved. "But you're gonna have to give me something. I'm not a saint and you piled up enough attitude for a day."

Darwin turned down his eyes and forked the last remnants of his dinner around on the plate. Rayne was talking about Harry, the one point Darwin didn't feel like giving in on.

"What do you want me to say?" he finally asked with a level voice, "I don't know you well enough to trust you with my best friend's heart. But I know him, and I won't let you hurt him." And hurt him he would, Darwin knew. There was no way around getting hurt in a relationship, but if there was a way to keep the hurt to a normal, healthy minimum, he was ready to take the heat. The problem was how to ensure Rayne understood what Darwin meant.

"I don't oppose a relationship between you and him, but Harry is not as resilient as me. He'll give in instantly and trust you completely, whether you've earned that trust or not. And as long as I don't know if you'll stay with him at least long enough to give this between you a chance, I will get in your way."

Rayne sighed irritated. "So what you're saying is, I have to play the good boy if I want to be with Harry?" He looked to Jared next, pointing at Darwin accusingly. "And you're just gonna sit there and let him dictate the rules?"

Jared, who had kept his mouth shut diplomatically for the whole discussion, tilted up one eyebrow. Darwin couldn't interpret the expression on his face, but it looked neutral enough.

"We're all new to this pack thing. The way I see it, the only two people really intimate with each other are Harry and Darwin, and I'm willing to trust his judgment for Harry's sake. He says it's best for Harry if you go slow, what's there to object to?" He turned just enough to look at Rayne more directly and added, "if you think Harry is the one for you, you've got all the time in the world. You'll never be happy with him as long as Darwin doesn't back you up, and you know it. So just prove your intentions to him, it's not asking too much."

He sounded very reasonable, and very Alpha-like. Darwin looked down at the plate to hide his own expression from both of them, mostly because it was a bad moment to fawn over Jared.

Rayne didn't look any happier than before, but he kept quiet. He wiped his hands and put away the dishes, then he turned around and grumbled, "I'll go have a look around," and left without another word. It was good enough for Darwin.

~*Jared*~

Rayne stayed away for nearly two hours. When he came back he looked calmer but not happier, and didn't seem to be in a talkative mood. Darwin had finally let himself be talked into a shower after helping Harry get Darla settled, and now Harry was in Darla's room reading a book as he watched over her.

It left Rayne with no real choice of what company to keep. When he sagged onto the couch next to Jared, he brought a breeze of frosty air with him, telling of the temperatures outside. Jared, a southerner by heart, dreaded the thought of walking outside without a real coat, but Rayne didn't seem troubled by the weather.

Jared was holding one of the nature magazines he had found in one of the drawers, but his mind didn't follow the stories. It was a place to put his eyes, but his thoughts were on other things altogether.

"I need your help to make this work," he said, not looking up.

Rayne shuffled around a bit as he took off his sneakers, then pulled up his legs. Maybe he did feel cold after all. "Good of you to realize that," he sniped, but the words lacked real anger.

Jared sighed and put down the magazine. It landed on his knees, then slid lower and folded together as it came to a halt between his thighs. "Me asking you for help is not a bargaining chip for going around Darwin, you do realize that?" he asked without expecting an answer, watching Rayne's face do the dance of a beaten man.

Rayne had hoped, that much was obvious, but he let go of that hope just as quickly. "Fine, I'll let it go for today, but only because it's been a long fucking day and I don't feel up to round three." He smiled at his own words, but the expression quickly disappeared. "What do you need?"

Jared was relieved Rayne didn't try his nerves a third time, but he hid it as best as he could. If Rayne knew how exhausted Jared felt he probably would ride him one last time just for the sake of winning.

"I don't trust the locals, and that Hector guy gives me the creeps. We need to set up guard shifts, and we're too few to leave out the two beauties. You and me can't stand guard all the time, but I'd like to have you organize the schedule and give Darwin and Harry the least dangerous shifts."

Rayne nodded, his face showing approval. "You'll be gone all day, every day, right? And we'll need to go shopping for groceries and clothing soon. Then there's Darla." He sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "She won't be a problem today, but tomorrow she will. If she survives the fever. We can't have her run away half-crazed and panicking, so someone will have to stay with her at all times."

Jared closed his eyes at the list Rayne recounted. He had known most of the things before Rayne brought them up, but they sounded so much worse put together like that. They were a half dozen hands short, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"So one of us sleeps in her room until she dies or until we are fairly sure we can trust her. One of us has to be awake and keep guard, I'll be gone most of the time, and one of us can actually sleep. Sweet!" he groaned, and Rayne chuckled in reply.

"Welcome to your very own pack. Fun, isn't it?"

It took a bit of compromising, but in the end they found a guard schedule that gave everyone enough time to actually sleep, eat and have a few minutes to themselves. Rayne would take the first watch, then Harry would relieve him, and at noon Darwin would relieve Harry. Jared would take the evening watch, as long as someone other than him cooked dinner. Surprisingly Rayne didn't argue when Jared carefully suggested Harry should sleep in Darla's room for the time being. Maybe he was just a better person than Jared because it gave him the opportunity to share a room with Darwin whereas Rayne would be alone against his will.

Judging by the knowing look Rayne shot at him when he got up and walked to the bathroom, Rayne knew exactly what Jared was thinking-- and what part of Jared was calling the shots.

Jared himself didn't spend another thought on Rayne as soon as Darwin's smell flooded his nostrils. He stopped at the door to the bathroom, listening close to the wood. He could hear the shower running, but there were no sounds of someone splashing around, and Darwin had been inside for a long time already.

Knocking softly Jared grabbed the door knob, asking, "can I come in?" But there was no answer. He waited for a good minute, then he knocked again and just opened the door.

The bathroom was filled with steam and Darwin's scent. The heat slapped Jared like a dizzying wave as he crept inside, and he had to lean against the door frame to keep his footing.

"Are you trying to cook yourself?" he grumbled and reached to the side to close the door. Maybe there was some purpose to the temperature, and in that case letting the room cool down by keeping the door open would not add any brownie points to his account.

Darwin was sitting in the shower cross-legged and motionless, his face turned upward into the hot stream. He still wore his sweater, which now was soaking wet, but the rest of his clothes was piled onto a chair next to the sink. The intense scent was coming from them, or to put it more bluntly, they stank to high heaven.

Jared was unsure what to do, so he stayed next to the door. "Darwin?" he asked again, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. This new quietness was disconcerting to say the least.

When Darwin finally turned his head and opened his eyes Jared took a breath of relief. "What's wrong?" he asked more quietly and took a step closer.

Darwin replied with a soft laugh. "I can't get out of the damn sweater," he slurred with a strange note in his voice. He sounded drunk, numb maybe, or dizzy from the heat, it was hard to tell. But whatever the reason, it was enough to get Jared over his insecurity.

"Because of your shoulder?" he asked, pulling his own shirt over his head quietly. It felt stupid to try and not make a sound while undressing, but he didn't want to upset Darwin any further today.

Darwin didn't seem to notice, or he simply didn't care. "Yeah. I tried, but every time I lift my arm the pain starts. I thought I could tough it out but it just made me dizzy." His eyes followed Jared as he stepped out of his pants and underwear and for a moment there was a glint of fire in them, but he didn't move from where he was sitting.

The damp heat brushed against Jared's body as he walked closer. The fine blond hair on his body caught the minuscule droplets, making him tingle all over and his cock react. Darwin did look at him as he stepped into the hot stream and crouched down next to him, but all he did was laugh softly. "We always end up in the shower," he mumbled with a grin, then huffed as Jared grabbed his sweater and pulled it off his body.

The wet cloth made a slurping sound as it hit the floor outside. "There's no way that will get dry until tomorrow," Jared said, and turned back to Darwin. The shoulder wound was pale pink colored and uneven, but that actually meant it healed quite nicely. It probably still hurt like hell though, especially if Darwin tried to lift his arm above his shoulder.

As soon as he tore his eyes away from the wound and looked over the rest of Darwin's body, his pulse rose.

The black-haired man looked miserable and luscious at the same time, his wet hair sticking to the gaunt, fine-cut face and the eyes, oh the eyes... The icy blue iris had given way to his dark, dilated pupils, nearly jumping out of his pale face in startling contrast. A small smile tugged at the edges of his bloodless but still full lips, not fitting to his usual abrasive temper. His expression was that of a man thinking dark, lustful thoughts, fitting to his situation but surprising nonetheless.

The water was too hot though. Jared leaned over and turned the temperature down, accidently pressing his chest against Darwin's face in the process. The young man started shivering instantly, even though the water still was warm enough to make Jared sweat just kneeling near it.

"I hate you. You make me weak," Darwin slurred, then he pressed his face against Jared's chest and inhaled deeply. His too-hot hands stroked up his sides, then he embraced him mid-height and pulled him into the stream.

Jared came all too willingly, spreading his knees to pull Darwin between them and against his body, trying to stop his shivering through closeness.

"You make me weak too," he mumbled with a small grin, sounding disarming. "But you're also the reason I try to be strong."

Darwin's hard cock came to rest against Jared's crotch, animating his own length to twitch in synchronicity with it, and sending waves of prickling lust up his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to grab both of them and bring them to completion there and then, but there was something so open and helpless about Darwin sitting forlorn and wanton in that shower. Jared feared for his heart, afraid of hurting him by rushing things.

He could wait. And he would wait.

Instead of grabbing both their cocks and giving them what Darwin clearly wanted he grabbed for the bottle of shower lotion and maneuvered Darwin half out of the stream. Feeling his feverish hot skin beneath his kneading fingers was nearly as good as sex, especially because this time there was no resistance. A part of Jared's mind wanted to worry about that as his fingers reached the perky, peach-fuzzed behind, but Jared quickly shoved those thoughts away.

Darwin didn't have a lot of hair on his body, but he had it in all the right places, and it was incredibly soft beneath Jared's fingers. He didn't want to stop touching him, but the heat was too much for his beaten body.

"Why did you turn up the temperature so much?" Jared asked and tugged him back beneath the stream to wash off the soapy suds. Now only his hair needed washing and he could finally drag Darwin to bed.

Darwin laughed. "I was cold when I undressed and the water didn't get warm fast enough, so I turned it higher. Then I had that fight with my sweater and the pain made me dizzy in addition to cold, so I sat in the water to get at least warm. And it got hotter and hotter until I was too dizzy to turn it off or get out." He paused for a moment, then put his arms around Jared's chest and licked a trail of water off his skin. "But I'm not cold anymore," he then added, chuckling softly.

All Jared could do was shake his head and try not to blow his load at the feel of his tongue against his chest. How could someone so infuriating also be so damn sexy?

"I'll do my best to keep you warm for much longer, but first we need to wash your hair," he murmured and proceeded to rub shampoo into the black strands of hair until foam dripped from his hands. Darwin didn't move from his touches, but hummed contentedly as Jared doted on him.

After such a long time being unable to get anywhere close to Darwin without him getting worked up, angry or moody, it was still thrilling to be allowed to touch him to such an extent. At the same time Jared could feel how fragile their truce really was. One wrong move, one step too far, and Darwin would explode in his face and probably deny him for good. He would have loved to capitalize on Darwin's affectionate state, but it would have been a short-lived joy.

Instead he pulled his soapy head into the water stream, rinsed his hair carefully and tried not to lose his mind over the things Darwin did with his tongue. It was the hardest thing he had ever done.

~*Darwin*~

Maybe he should have told Jared what else he had been doing in the shower, seeing as how his initial story sounded ridiculous to any sane person. But Jared wasn't sane, at least not when it came to Darwin. He was obsessed to the point of forgetting any and every other matter as soon as Darwin shed his clothes.

Darwin liked that, he liked it a lot.

Of course, he himself suffered the same effect when Jared's naked, hunky body was concerned. He usually just hid it better. That evening was an exception to that rule.

His shoulder did actually hurt enough to make him dizzy, but the pain didn't come from trying to undress. It had grown with every minute he spent trying to get off, until there had been no strength left to get out of that sweater. And of course, all the work had been for nothing. He hadn't reached his peak, try as he might. At least the hot water had helped him wrestle his cock into submission before he poked out someone's eye.

Jared's obtrusive behavior was a ways out Darwin hadn't expected though. He should have seen it coming, after all Jared was pushy, hard-headed and hadn't accepted any of his rebuffs so far. And for some reason Darwin didn't want to think too much about why Jared wasn't drilling him for details. It was a more than welcome change of pace.

Getting washed by surprisingly careful hands was another nice surprise, although it ruined all the work Darwin had done to keep his libido in check. Those nimble fingers massaged his back and hair in a most exquisite way, exciting him enough to forget they were still in the bathroom with company in the adjoining room.

Would Jared have gone for the kill, Darwin would have let him take what was his right there and then. A week ago Jared also would have done that without hesitation, but not this time. He did react to Darwin's searching tongue and fingers, but every time he got close to the 'good parts', as he called it, Jared would catch his wrists and maneuver him somewhere less susceptible to lust, and carry on soaping him up and rinsing him down.

When Jared grabbed his wrists once again, Darwin had enough. "Don't you want me?"

The question made Jared go still and look down at Darwin's face with a confused expression. "Of course I want you," he finally answered, letting go of one of his arms to turn off the water, "but I'm not sure you're yourself right now. If you aren't, you'll rip me a new one tomorrow."

"And if I am? Myself, I mean."

Jared thought about that for a few moments, then he shrugged. "I'd miss an opportunity I've been waiting for, and I'll probably rip myself a new one."

He knelt there thinking for a few seconds, and his face showed the effort with deep wrinkles between his brows. His breath hitched when he attempted to say something, but then he hesitated, looked down at Darwin's face and murmured, "I'm missing an opportunity right now, aren't I?"

Darwin smiled and nodded.

Swearing softly, Jared grabbed him and pulled him into his arms, standing up easily with the added weight. Stepping out of the shower, he sat Darwin down onto the single stool the little bathroom offered, and got a towel. "You could have given me a hint," he mumbled with an amused lilt to his voice as he rubbed Darwin's body dry, but only got a broad grin.

Yeah, he could have, but that would have ruined all the fun. Darwin knew he was acting strangely, different than before, but he hadn't been himself then. Hadn't been for a long time, too afraid of giving away his secrets and getting killed for it. He was still afraid, still acted guarded and unemotional most of the time, but the moments where his real self broke through the mental walls he had erected became more frequent with every day they were away from Banes.

He looked at Jared's face, scrunched with concentration on his task of toweling off Darwin like a toddler, and felt a hot wave of love and desire wash through his chest. The realization that this hot, sun-kissed jock was his, and only his, hit him with such a force it left him giddy and breathless.

His heart jumped, then raced with sudden excitement.

"Take me to bed, Jared."