Brother

Clinking metal is the first thing that registers in my mind, quickly followed by how much my head hurts. I’m pretty sure I’m not moving yet there is no denying the swaying motion of whatever is below me. Opening my eyes I’m not sure if I actually did, because there is only darkness until I see the light filtering in from the opposite side to me.

I think I’m in a van.

Looking up hurts, and as we go over a bump in the road, my head hits the floor making me cry out in even more pain.

“It’s okay Sarah. Try not to panic.” Michael tells me, his voice strained yet oddly calm.

With a grunt of effort I roll onto my side, which may have been easier if not for the rope around my wrists and ankles. I feel like I’m in a bad movie and looking behind me the metal sounds must be coming from him as I can just make out thick chains piled up near Michael against the back. Then I notice the one around his neck.

“Are-” I cough, before trying to talk again. “Are you okay?”

“Wasn’t silver and just a graze. I’ll be fine.” He assures me.

Half of his face is in shadow so I can’t be sure if he is even telling the truth. I leave the blanket I had been laying on, and crawl over to him. His hand instantly cups my face and as a brighter light flashes through the board keeping us seperate to the ones in the front, I see him wince as he looks me over. Clearly it's as bad as the throbbing ache in my cheek is trying to tell me.

“That is gonna hurt for a while, Bright Eyes.”

“Thought so.”

Michael shifts into a less awkward sitting position, before bringing me with him so I’m curled up in his lap. Somehow, this actually makes me feel safe and the urge to panic, scream, cry all of it, fades a little.

“This is exactly what I didn’t want happening.” He mumbles, going for the rope I’m soon free of the restraints. “I never thought the old man would do something like this though.”

The sense of betrayal is obvious and so I just hold him, wishing I could tell him everything was going to be fine, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

“I should have known, the way he was talking to Scott was too familiar. He’d clearly set this up and it was why he was hoping to change you when Jake was. That way he’d have you and Danny ready for him, and Scott would have to pay attention. Now he’s just getting desperate.”

“What is so good about me and Danny?”

“Your bond. It seems a little far fetched, but highly likely.” He holds his breath, moving his leg slightly as I realise I’d been leaning against it. “When we’re in wolf form, that’s it. We have to fight to keep thinking human and communication is based on body language which is purely animal. We can’t talk to one another.”

“But Danny and I can.” I finish.

“That makes you dangerous, it’s like separating apes from humans. You got the better skills, strength, and all that, but still able to think completely human. It would give you an advantage in any situation that you were together in.”

“So, is that why he now wants us dead?”

“No, maybe. If he can’t control you, yes. It’s hard to tell who is a werewolf and who isn’t. We rely on smell a lot, more than we even did before we were changed and in human form we don’t smell exactly like our wolves. There are subtle signs you might pick up, but unless they’re with you and carry a pack scent, it’s hard to know. As a wolf we leave no human DNA behind either.”

This still wasn’t making much sense to me and I was almost scared to close my eyes incase I passed out again. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you're getting at right now.”

“How do you think Scott can get away with so much? Why there are never any leads or evidence? He uses the wolves. If anyone does catch a glimpse of a dog running away from a crime scene or if a suspect was mauled in a vicious dog attack, that’s it. You don’t see crime reports going to the media describing the suspect as a wolf like dog who is wanted over drug charges do you?”

I stay quiet, letting him explain it.

“People like Dad act as subordinates, controlling the pack sent in to whatever it is that needs doing. Our senses are better than your average persons too, even when we’re not in wolf form, so we already make better thieves as it is. The leaders act as the authority figure the others, a guide to make sure no one fucks up and sticks to the task at hand. Using lesser wolves is risky, they could lose control and attack too soon, be too submissive and first sign of trouble shift to human form or run off and leave everyone else.”

“Danny, and well, me, wouldn’t have that issue would we?” I ask, finally seeing the bigger picture.

“No. You two can keep in contact, not worry about losing control and not need a third party to keep you in line. Except for one, and you’d only answer to Scott. That alone gives him advantage as he doesn’t have to involve others in his plans.”

“Well, I’m no secret agent and I’m pretty sure Danny isn’t either. He’s screwed if he thinks that we-”

“He’d train you. When he was younger, he was part of the SAS and his military background is a big secret because of that. It’s how he originally met Dad. If he wants something, it will happen.” We go over another bump, and Michael closes his eyes for a second too long and moves his leg again.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, knowing that wound has to be hurting him.

Then again, maybe it’s just how horrible it is in here. I’m starting to feel sweaty. It has to be sunset by now, but the van has little ventilation making it hotter than it should be.

“Nothing. We’re probably heading towards the city. I doubt we’re even at Bunbury yet.” He sighed.

“That’s good!” I decide. Getting up, I move to his wrist and inspect the cuffs. “How can I get these off?”

“You can’t . That’s probably why you were in ropes and I’m like this.”

“Could I jump out?” I wonder.

Going towards the door, it’s obvious we’re going fast. If we’re on the highway it’ll be over a hundred and ten easy. I try the handle, and it’s sealed with child lock, making it impossible for me to open anyway.

“No. Not at this speed.”

“How do you know? I saw something similar on Mythbust-” I argue.

“Because I’ve seen people thrown out of cars before and if you live, you’re going to wish you were dead.” Michael snaps at me matter of factly.

“Fine. No jumping out of cars.”

I grab the blanket and sit back down. It’s then I notice something else by the back door and moving over to it, a bottle of water is beside a couple of towels. Picking them up, a small box falls out from in between one and opening it, I find a small screwdriver set. Instantly I go back to the locks, and just as I’m about to see how my locksmiths skills are, Michael stops me.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“No, but it can’t be that hard. Put it in and wait for the click right?” I find one of the small, pointy ended ones and carry on.

“Not quite. Find the smallest tip, if you put anything too big in you risk damaging it.”

I follow his instructions and start on his left hand. Maybe if I could see what I was doing, it would be much easier. The amount of time it takes, we could have left the state, but finally after using a flat edged one too, I get a click and his hand is free. The second one gets done in half the time as we each take a tool to the lock, and Michael tells me how he can hear the different parts of it moving inside the bolt.

Breaking and entering sounds extremely uncomplicated when you’re a werewolf.

“How long have you been a werewolf?” I ask as he does the one around his neck, before his ankles.

“I was ten when they changed me, so for half of my life.”

Seeing Jake and even Danny post shift had been horrible. Imagining a ten year old going through that was unthinkable. Without saying anything, he still picks up on my reaction and just shrugs.

“You deal with it. Joe was thirteen, so was Justin. Mum thought I was too young to go through it, but Dad said it would make me stronger. He’s always been softer on them.”

I didn’t even realise he’d got himself free until he sat down beside me in the middle of the van. He opened the water and sniffed it before offering it to me. I took a few big gulps before handing it back and once he was done, poured some of it on his leg, hissing as he did so.

“Don’t freak out. I’m going to change okay?”

“Why would I freak out?” It wasn’t like I didn’t know what he was or hadn’t seen him as a wolf before.

“I’m hurt. Oddly, we heal faster in our other skin, but to change, it’s going to take me longer.”

“Okay.” I move to a corner to give him room and he wasn’t lying about it taking longer.

Just like Danny’s first time, the cracking of bones and grunts of pain latch onto my memory. I end up closing my eyes and blocking my ears, start humming to myself to try and stop it from getting to me. The feeling of hot breath on my arm and then a wet nose on my cheek stops the bad, wordless rendition of my Dad’s football teams song.

Michael whines and nudges me again. For whatever reason, now he isn’t here as a person, I let go of my last bit of sanity and as I throw my arms around his neck and hug his furry body, I let myself cry. It wasn’t pretty. With the weight of everything behind my eyes, I didn’t think I’d ever stop and as Michael laid down, I went with him; wetting his fur as I used him as a pillow until I eventually I fell asleep or at least I think I did as Danny was suddenly saying my name.

“Sarah? Sarah? Are you there?” Danny called.

“Danny!” I screamed back.

“I got taken. I don’t know what happened to Annabelle. Go to the Blakes, it’s not safe!”

I stayed in the dark, trying to focus on anything that could be Danny. He wasn’t there.

“They took her too. They think she’s me. The Blakes betrayed Michael too, and they’re bringing us to you now.”

He curses and even now, how ever this happening, I can feel how angry he is - his pain. Nothing compares to the bitter taste of his fear and I become infected with it until I don’t know if it’s mine or his that has me wanting to completely shut down.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Danny finally speaks again.

“I’m in a van with Michael. I’m okay. You?”

“I’m worried about Annabelle. They ran the car off the road, and I got out to go help her, but there was so many of them. I couldn’t fight them, I tried, but they’re bigger, stronger, and I wanted to get to her and-”

“Danny?”

Nothing.

“Danny!”

“Everything hurts Sarah. I can’t-” His voice fades away. “Help me!”

I’m still screaming Danny’s name when I wake up. Michael is holding me, while trying to say something to calm me down. I can’t. My body feels like it’s on fire and just like when I left work, I know it’s from Danny. I push myself away from Michael, and gripping the edge of the blanket, I just scream in agony into now instead.

I’ve never known pain like it.

I never want to again.

“Block him out Sarah! Listen to me!” Michael screamed, managing to break into the pit I found myself falling into. “Block. Him. Out!”

“I don’t know how!” I mumbled between sobs, daring to focus on Danny again.

‘Stop. Please stop!’

“Push him back. Just imagine he’s here and push him out.” He lectured. “Hit him. Do anything that you can think of to kick him out.”

I didn’t know what else to do so managed to get some kind of memory of normal Danny - the Danny who’d sleep in and refuse to go to school, and pushed him out of bed. I kept pushing him out of his forever weird smelling bedroom and down the stairs.

It got easier to think and so I just shoved him away, like I did a hundred times before when ever he’d try to take something I was eating. I hit him with a pillow, like when he snuck into my room to put a fake spider in my bed. I kept coming up with a million scenarios, and kept pushing him away.

Slowly, I could start to breathe easy again. My chest felt unharmed and my skin no longer felt too tight around aching muscles or split open and bleeding.

“He’s hurting so much.” I managed to get out, rolling onto my back. I couldn’t move, completely exhausted from whatever that all was.

“I know, but whenever that happens and he’s calling to you, don’t let it take over.” Michael moved to lay beside me, and wiped my face with the edge of the towel.

I was covered in sweat and longer I stayed there, the hotter it seemed to get.

Then it hit me.

“How do you know what he is doing and how to stop it? You see to know a lot about Scott’s plan too.” A new kind of hysteria began to boil within my skin and if I had the energy I’d be trying to hit him or something. “Are you in this too? Have you been playing along and-”

“Because, this has happened before.” He cuts me off.

“What?”

“Face it, twins are interesting. Werewolves are interesting. Put the two together and you don’t think anyone has ever thought about it before?” I don’t appreciate the sarcasm in his tone.

We went around a corner, and while we steadied ourselves, somethings didn’t have that ability. One of the discarded screwdrivers that had been too big to use for lock picking rolled by me and as soon as I wrapped my hand around the handle, I rolled into Michael and due to having felt his breath on my arm, managed to locate his throat - well his chin at least.

“What happened before?” I demanded.

It was pointless to threaten him. In the dark I had no way of seeing him move, plus he was stronger than me. My hands were pinned up and above my head in one swift movement, while his body now hovered over mine.

“Don’t do that again. I don’t need to feel threatened by you right now. If I say don’t run, don’t run.” He warned.

I understood and this time, spoke a little softer. “What happened?”

“They died.”

He let me go and we were back to laying side by side.

“How?” I managed to ask.

“One didn’t survive the change.” The van felt like it was slowing down and we went around another corner. Highways don’t have corners. “I’m so sorry for not realising it sooner, I was only thinking of myself. So, fucking, stupid!”

Michael sounded tired - defeated. I didn’t like it and I didn’t understand.

Another corner.

“Tell me!” I begged.

“We were kids. I don’t think I was even twelve, but cause I managed okay after the change, it was their turn. The younger they turned us, the better they thought we’d be as we got older. Xander was sick, so Stan was changed and it went okay - except for Xander having a fit like he was the one changing. That got Scott’s attention because they could do what you and Danny can do. Then no one was able to see them anymore.”

“Why?”

“Rumour was Stan stayed in wolf form and wouldn’t change back. Xander stopped talking to anyone except for Stan and well, it wasn’t really talking. They also refused to be apart and so when Xander was finally changed he didn’t make it. Stan went into a coma. His life support was turned off a few weeks later.”

My heart broke for them. They were just kids and it would have been terrifying for them.

“How do you know so much though?”

That part hadn’t really been explained.

“Because I lived next door to them and they still spoke to me.” He sighed.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was crying and reaching out, his cheek was wet. As he blinked, fresh tears came out and I hugged his side.

“How have I been so fucking stupid this whole time? The things Dad asked, told me to try. It was all there. I was just too interested in you to really notice. He knew I wouldn’t help otherwise. All his bullshit about a new start, about letting me find something that makes me happy...” His voice trailed off as he stood up as best he could.

If I thought he was mad at the house, he was like a volcano about to erupt now.

The brakes groaned beneath us as we’d slowed down. The sound of traffic made it obvious we weren’t in the country any more and yet none of that mattered as with a grunt of effort, Michael slide open the side door. The metal grinded against metal, sparking as it was yanked back and the burst of fresh air was tainted by car fumes.

The van braked suddenly and I fell forward before rolling back. We had stopped now, as I'm sure the fact he just tore open the door would make anyone stop to see what was going on. Peeking out, I don’t think we were at our destination.

"Stay here, I need a minute and then we'll work out what to do next." He mumbled, disappearing around the sound of the van as a truck roared past.

Shouting replaced the traffic.

My first instinct was to do as he said, but looking out and down the road, the urge to run took over. I inched closer to the back, daring to get out and stand. Traffic moved by us completely unaffected with the roadside drama, probably thankful they missed whatever accident had just happened for the van to be destroyed. The area wasn’t familiar to me at all, but from the lights, I could see tree’s to one side and suburbia on the other. We were also on an overpass. All three Blake kids surrounded their Dad against the railing. Joe was shouting at Michael, Justin looked like he was ready to run and Mr. Blake looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“How could you?” Michael screamed at his Dad.

“She will survive the change! They are the key to taking over the pack!” He protested.

“You’re not taking over the pack. He took your mate, he destroyed your life - our lives. When did you find them, how did it happen? While I was in prison for your fuck ups? When he made you leave the city? That’s how you stayed alive when he caught up with you last time wasn’t it?”

Michael grabbed fistfuls of his hair, a growl like scream leaving him. It was then Joe saw me, and with each step he made towards me, I took one backwards. Then Justin stopped him.

“Listen to Mike, idiot. We’re not like them!” Justin snapped.

“You’re not like them.” Joe corrected him and turned his attention back to me.

Justin pushed him, and I could still hear Michael arguing with his Dad, so as a small silver box of a car approached, I put my arm out and tried to wave it down. The indicator came on, and the car stopped a few lengths from the van. I ran to the passenger side and the pretty blonde girl put her window down.

“Please, help me!” I sobbed.

“Do you need me to call the police?” She asked quickly, already reaching for her phone.

“No, just get me away from here!” I saw her hesitation, her eyes wide with fear and yet the door unlocked.

As she pulled back onto the freeway, Michael was shouting my name, wanting us to stop. Daring a look, Mr. Blake was down against the railing and Justin had Joe pinned against the side of the van. He’d be okay, and right now I wanted as much distance as I could manage between me and the werewolves.

“I’m sorry!” I called out to him and the tiny car was pushed to its limits as my rescuer sped away.

“Do you need a hospital? What the hell was that?” She demanded.

“I make really bad choices when dating and that was a huge mistake!” I try and play it off like it wasn’t as bad as it was. “You can drop me off at the service station if you like. I’m fine, really. I can call for a friend to get me there.”

She nodded and a few miles down the road, I thanked her again, promising I was okay and then went to the pay phone. Dialling reverse charges, I called Nanna. Not leaving much room to explain, I told her where I was and asked her to come get me. As soon as I saw her car I started shaking and the second I sat down, I couldn’t stop myself from crying again.

By the time we got back to her place, I felt better and she saved her questions until I was safely seating at her dining table with a cup of tea in front of me.

“From the beginning Sarah.” It wasn’t a question, it was an order I couldn’t refuse.

So I told her everything, starting from when the Blakes came to town, the parties, school, Michael, werewolves, Danny and what Michael told me on the ride up here.

“I’m not lying. They really exist and they have Danny and Annabelle and I should have told someone sooner, but I couldn’t! And then this happened and you’re probably going to have me committed, but that's okay, we just need to get them back first.” I finally shut up and sipped the now cold tea.

Without looking at me or saying a word, she got up and went to the phone on the wall. She was calling the police. Scott would probably have Danny and Annabelle killed before they even thought about taking the missing persons report seriously and yet, when she spoke, it wasn’t the police at all.

“Scott’s gone too far this time. He has my grandkids Noah.”

I gasped.

“Sarah is here. It’s Anna and Danny. I want them home, tonight.” She hung up and finally looked at me. “Your grandfather will be rolling in his grave if he knew what was going on right now.”

“You’re- you? You’re a werewolf?” I stuttered.

“No sweetheart, but I was married to one long enough to pick up a few things. Scott’s gathering are not the only werewolves in town and while we stay out of each others way and business, this? This is too much.” There was a hardness to her now I’d never seen before.

It was terrifying.

“Noah?”

“Not yet, but his grandfather has been considering it for some time now. I was wrong to encourage you and that boy together. Danny was the one who was right, you stay away from him.” She clucked her tongue, shaking her head as she made herself more tea.

“But-”

“No Sarah. We do not associate ourselves with their kind. Noah should have told me about them, but he didn’t. Maybe he thought I already knew. I’m not sure.” I didn’t like this side of Nanna.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know any of this would happen!” I burried my head into my arms as I fell to the table, and instantly she was there patting my back, offering the comfort I was used to her being able to provide.

“It’s not your fault Sarah. Don’t blame yourself.” She soothed.

“If Grandad was, what about Dad? Who else in our family-”

“No one, except for Danny. His father changed him, thinking it was something to keep in our lineage, a gift even. He disagreed and hid it from us all. When that old son of a bitch he called Dad died, I found him in the backyard, in wolf form, howling to the moon. He explained everything to me, and I took the kids and moved back to my Mums house. Thing is, living with her again was worse than living with a werewolf ever was. I loved him. He was still my husband after all.” She smiled softly, their love not weakening now that he was gone.

I’m not sure if she meant to give me a family history lesson, or was simply distracting me, but my great-grandfather was a cruel man. His father had been a gang leader back in the twenties over in Sydney. They used to call them razor gangs, and while underground crime dominated the streets, it wasn’t as simple as the record books would have you believe.

While I thought my story of what had been going on was far-fetched, hearing about the true masterminds behind the crime wave was something you couldn’t read about. If you mentioned these gangs to any Australian, most think of Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine - brothel owners that held one of the biggest crime rivalries in our history. You won’t find the name, Albert Attwell, my great, great grandfather anywhere in all the mess, much like how Scott Fellan was kept clean these days.

The cut-throat razors that gave these groups their name, became a popular weapon of choice and it wasn’t to avoid the new laws regarding gun use. They were silver and when you slice the throat of a werewolf with one - it’s over for them. Even a deep cut could prove fatal, especially if they’d torture them with it first.

“Attwells main rival was a Fellan, I forget his name, but clearly unlike our family, some of that darkness stayed with them. We’re not part of that underworld anymore, when Albert died, it went with him. I wonder if Scott even knows his family history?” Nanna wondered.

It was then someone knocked on the door and Nanna motioned for me to stay, before going to answer it. Noah came in first, and with him, four others followed. Two of the men looked old enough to be retired, while the other barely looked Noah’s age. The woman surprised me though. So far, I’d only been dealing with werewolf men and hearing about how turning females failed, like Michaels Mum.

I knew they were all werewolves and like Michael told me, there are subtle signs if you look close enough. They all surveyed the house like nervous cats, eyes wide and tense - like an attack could come from any angle at any time. Not only that, but when compared to how Noah walked in they moved gracefully with long, sure steps.

“Hi Sarah, we’ve heard so much about you.” The woman smiled, and getting closer I realised she wasn’t as young as I first thought.

Her mousy blonde hair was filled with grey, and makeup hid the age lines on her face, especially around her eyes.

“Sarah, this is my Mum, Karen,” Noah introduced. “My cousin, Don, my Uncle Mitch and his friend, Will.”

Karen, Don and Mitch all had Noah’s kind eyes, the family resemblance becoming clearer as it was pointed out.

“Noah said Scott has Danny and Anna?” Will spoke first, simply nodding a hello my way.

Thankfully Nanna did most of the talking, telling them what they needed to know. I somehow ended up on the sofa, listening to them talk as I closed my eyes and thought of Danny.

I just needed to feel him there, to know he was still okay only nothing happened.

“It’ll be okay Sarah.” Noah sat down beside me and patted my hand. “Danny’s tough and we’re already sending some people out to check Scott’s usual haunts. We’ll get them back by morning.”

Nodding at Noah, I wanted to believe him. I closed my eyes again to find Danny was there now, just. I wasn’t sure if morning was going to be soon enough.

‘We’re coming for you!’ I told him, wishing I could just give him a hug and make it all better.

Instead I had to push him away as the pain he was in began to seep into my mind. It was so much more intense than last time, and I had a feeling it was all to make me suffer.

′Hold on Danny!’

I prayed he heard me.