System of a Wolf - 27. Chapter 27

His hands scrambled to grab a bush, a root, anything that would stop his fall. Erith’s body ached as he slid down the cliff face. Every bounce, every hit, only served to jar him as he jammed his hands into a crevice in the side of the hill.

The elf’s arms almost pulled out of their sockets as his body slammed to a halt. Tears streamed from his eyes as he stared down at the ground, barely ten feet away. Taking a deep breath, Erith worked his fingers free, and let his body drop to the ground.

He collapsed at the base of Wolfsbane, shivering as his mind tried to catch up to the fact that he was still alive. Varen couldn’t even do that properly. And yet there was no sign of the other elf in his mind. All Erith could feel was Lynn and Gara pushing to the front of his mind, both trying to make sure his body was safe, their body was safe.

“I’m okay…” he croaked. “I’m… I’m okay…”

It was to reassure himself as much as Lynn and Gara. He was broken, bruised, but the thirty foot tumble had not killed him. They were safe. If Varen was still around, he was going to kill him. But that was a problem for another day.

The elf spent several minutes running his hands over his body. To his horrified surprise, his body reacted to his touch, the adrenaline producing a surge that had his dick ramrod stiff.

Erith laughed.

He couldn’t help it. The scene was just too outrageous. His first erection in nearly ten years was from a fucking suicide attempt. He would have never believed it, but there was no doubt, he was aroused.

Moving on from the unexpected issue, the elf confirmed that nothing was broken, as far as he could tell. Bruised, beaten, sore beyond anything he’d felt before, but not broken.

“Gara…”

Wolves were supposed to have regenerative abilities. It had never been anything Erith had attempted to use, but at this point, he could barely move. If Gara could get him to the car…

Clothes tore to pieces as Gara pushed to the front. His body was hard, his mind reeling from the trauma they had just been through. Above all, he held Lynn in a mental embrace, his mind split as he tried to keep the neko from the emotional and physical trauma.

Digging the car keys out of the ruined clothes, Gara held them in his mouth as he limped back toward the car park. He ignored the parked car, making his way out of the car park and toward the smell of wolves. There was no way Erith could drive right now, not the way they were feeling.

Miles passed under the wolf’s aching feet, his entire body bearing evidence of his shame. He hadn’t been able to stop Varen. He had failed his entire pack. And as he collapsed in front of the pack house, Gara let out a mournful whimper.

Soft hands helped the wolf up, guiding him through the iron gates and into a warm office. His body bore the pain of their fall, the shift doing nothing to help them heal from bruises.

“I need you to shift,” a voice said gently.

A human knelt beside him, the smell of magic drifting out of his body. Gara let out another whimper. He needed help. Shifting wouldn’t help; it would only push the pain onto Erith.

“Please, I don’t know wolves as well as people,” the mage added. “I can’t help you unless you shift.”

‘I can handle it.’

The keys fell out of his mouth, and his body grew out, the agony of shifting almost a sweet balm as Gara forced himself to retreat. Erith fronted, his hands instinctively covering his groin as he lay on the ground.

“Erith?”

The elf blinked, looking at the man kneeling beside him. He didn’t recognise him, but the mage clearly knew him.

“What happened to you? Were you mugged?”

“I… fell down Wolfsbane…” Erith muttered.

“Amica,” the man said quickly. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

The elf was left alone in a small room, finally able to take stock of where Gara had taken him. The pack house. He was naked around the gods only knew how many werewolves.

“Blake, wait a second-”

Erith flinched as the door to the room was thrown open. A body flew at him, and he let out a pained yelp as arms wrapped around his battered body.

“What did you do?” Blake demanded, the mage holding Erith’s face.

“Varen…” Erith winced, his hands crushed under Blake’s knee as he tried to protect his crotch.

“Blake, get off him.”

“It wasn’t me…” the elf added as Blake leaned back to let the other mage work.

Warmth flowed through Erith’s body, quickly growing into an almost intense heat. He bit his lip, fighting back another whimper as his body was forced to heal.

“I’m sorry. I’m still learning how to control this,” the mage apologized.

He let a wilted, almost white leaf fall from his hands, studying Erith’s entire body with a scrutiny that made the elf’s face burn.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I’m next on the menu at an all you can eat buffet,” Erith breathed.

“Beside that,” the mage said impatiently.

“Fine. It doesn’t hurt as much,” the elf shrugged.

He could still feel the tightness that ran throughout his body, but the sharp agonies of a dozen different bruises and scrapes was gone. It was a small relief, next to the agony in his mind and heart.

“I’m taking you to my apartment. We’ll find some clothes for you,” Blake said.

“He can’t run around naked outside. You need to shift if you’re going to be around here Erith.”

The elf groaned, grabbing the keys from where they still lay on the floor. He handed them to Blake, before letting Gara out once more.

Blake pushed Gara into the apartment, freezing at the sight of Dr. Marin standing just in the hallway.

“I go lay down for ten minutes and you wander out of the house.”

“I had to help… Erith…” Blake said uncertainly, looking at the wolf.

Gara leaned against the man, a soft whimper coming to Blake’s defense. Blake’s hand rubbed against his side, patting the wolf gently.

“Varen did… something. I don’t know what. But the office called because they knew Erith usually came to visit me. I told Erith he could borrow some of my clothes, but right now I’m thinking Gara should stay here for the night.”

The wolf huffed beside him, sitting down as he looked between Dr. Marin and Blake.

“I wasn’t expecting to have a guest spend the night,” Dr. Marin frowned.

“I can wolf proof the apartment,” Blake said quickly. “It’s Gara. He won’t be a problem, I promise.”

He felt Gara’s maw close around his hand, pulling him toward the mage’s room. Blake pulled his hand out of the wolf’s mouth, frowning at him.

“No biting.”

Gara grunted, padding toward the mage’s room. Blake stared after the wolf, chasing him a moment later.

“Hey! Where are you going?!”

They stepped into Blake’s room, and the wolf dropped, rippling until he was back in elf form. Blake’s face burned as Erith covered his groin again, and he hurried toward his dresser, pulling out a pair of elastic shorts.

“Here. These should fit.”

“Gara’s not staying out tonight,” Erith frowned, turning around to pull the shorts up.

Blake stared at the elf, his eyes glued to Erith’s crotch.

“You… you were hard!” he accused.

“Yes, because my erection is what is important here,” Erith grumbled. “I just got thrown off Wolfsbane and I can now grow wood. Glad to see you have your priorities in order, Blake.”

“Wha- who… Varen?!”

“Yes.”

A knock on the bedroom door interrupted them, Dr. Marin standing behind the closed barrier.

“Blake, I wasn’t finished talking to you.”

The mage frowned at Erith.

“Open it. I’m covered,” the elf shrugged.

“How are you so calm?” Blake demanded, reaching for the door.

“Gara, I think,” Erith said as the door opened.

“Erith?” Dr. Marin frowned.

The elf nodded. Blake stepped between the two.

“He needs to stay. His car isn’t here and I don’t think either he or Gara should be wandering the streets right now,” the mage said firmly.

“It’s at Quarian Academy,” Erith added quietly.

“That’s nearly four miles. Gara walked all that way?”

The elf nodded, and Dr. Marin sighed quietly.

“Well, I’m not ecstatic about you spending the night after your actions today. But it’s up to you, and Blake. If you want to go home, I can take you to the campus so you can get your car.”

“I… I apologise for anything I said earlier,” Erith muttered.

“We know it wasn’t you, Erith,” Blake said reassuringly.

The mage wrapped his arms around the elf, frowning as Erith stiffened under his touch.

“Please stay. I’ve never had a sleepover here before,” he begged.

“I could use a friend right now,” Erith said quietly, finally returning Blake’s hug. “And I probably shouldn’t be driving right now anyway. I’m not… not very stable right now.”

“Would you like me to call someone?” Dr. Marin asked.

“Not tonight, right?” Blake demanded.

Erith’s hand rubbed the mage’s head gently, and Blake pushed into the hand, trying to get the most out of the petting.

“Not tonight,” he agreed. “But tomorrow, I’m going to need help. Tonight, I just need to sleep.”

Blake’s arms tightened around the elf, and he rested his head against Erith’s chest.

“Okay. You two enjoy your sleepover then,” Dr. Marin said. “Erith, I’ll be waking up at six tomorrow to be at school by nine. If you want a ride, you need to be up by then. If you’d rather go home, I can see if a friend of mine can get your car back to you.

“Thanks Dr. Marin,” Erith replied quietly. “I’m really sorry to do this to you.”

“It’s okay,” the man waved him off. “Just try not to get into another argument. I’m assuming Varen will be remaining distant for some time.”

Erith stiffened in Blake’s arms again.

“Varen is… I… I’m not sure what happened,” he whispered. “I think he’s gone.”

“I see. Well… I’m glad you plan on seeking help. Honestly, I don’t feel like I will be much help in this situation,” the older man said. “I’ll leave you and Blake to your rest then.”

He stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him, and Blake stared at Erith.

“I’m sorry,” the mage said. “For a lot of things. I think I pissed Varen off. And I shouldn’t have been begging to see Gara.”

“It’s okay,” Erith murmured, gently stroking Blake’s head. “I think a lot of things are about to change. I just hope they’re for the better.”

Blake pulled away finally, moving to sit on the edge of his bed.

“About Adam-”

“Blake, I don’t like you being with Adam. I don’t like Adam, and I don’t think I ever will. But it’s not my place to tell you not to be with him. I lost that privilege when I told you we couldn’t have a relationship.”

Blake shook his head, watching Val swim in his tank. The fish soothed him, letting him think about his next words without any of the anxiety that always seemed to hang around his conversations.

“I… I want to be with you still. I still like you Erith. But I’m attracted to him too. He’s my mate. But I don’t think I can be with him. We’re too different. And there’s going to be that ghost between us, that memory of the past. I don’t think he can get past that.”

“Blake, I still can’t have a relationship. I almost died tonight, because I lost control of Varen. I can’t put you through that. I won’t put you through that. Maybe someday we can be together, but I don’t expect you to wait for me at all,” Erith said firmly.

“Then… then we’ll just be friends.”

Blake pulled his shirt off with a sigh, his pants following a moment later as he crawled into bed.

“But friends can still cuddle with each other, right?”

“As long as we aren’t having sex,” Erith agreed, sliding into bed beside the mage.

The elf’s arms wrapped around Blake, warm and strong. The mage could feel Erith shaking as they slowly calmed down from the evening. It wasn’t long before the two were asleep.