Brother

Being drunk would be better than what ever this was. I felt like I was made of jelly, and had little to no control over what I did as I was led inside a hotel. I actually think it was a house, but it didn't matter as the fountain in the entry got my attention. There was no way it could be made of actual gold, but it looked like it.

Who ever was guiding me inside let go and entranced by the feature, I went over to reach out and touch the water that trickled down its sides. I think it was an elephant, or it could be a ball with my arm being the trunk. Imagine that, what if I was an elephant.

Can people turn into elephants?

Were-elephant.

Werelephant.

Werephant.

“Where should we put her?” Someone asks.

“Leave her. She isn’t going anywhere.” That voice I knew and looking behind me, Scott handed over something to an old man that I presumed was his butler before walking towards me. I bet he kills people in libraries with candlesticks.

“How are you feeling?” Scott asks, just as my hand finally makes contact with the cool liquid.

“Water.” A part of me knew it wasn’t funny, but it didn’t stop me from laughing over it anyway.

“You’re going to be fine.” He didn’t hide his own amusement.

If anything Scott sounded relieved and that tiny feeling in the back of my mind that told me I should be more careful shut up. I don’t remember him leaving, but when I decided I had to do more than touch the ball -that it needed to be hugged, someone else was there to pull me away from it.

“That’s enough of that.”

Looking down, a manly set of arms are around my waist and looking up, I frown before wiggling out of his grip. “You!”

“Hello.” Ben smirked.

Just like that, the happy little bubble I was in burst and the hangover hit me with vengeance. Had I even been drinking?

“Where am I?” I demanded, trying to resist the urge to throw up.

Glancing out the window it was only noon so I really doubt alcohol was to blame and seeing the red carpet, everything that had happened at the clinic came back to me. There was no stopping it now, and there was no way I could try and find a toilet, so, by the fountain I let my stomach empty itself while hoping that would help to try and stop whatever I had agreed to.

My body was as forgiving as Ben and the second I was done, he laughed. “This part sucks. Sleep on it, you’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Why are you even here?” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, pausing as a woman appeared out of no where and cleaned up the mess I made.

I couldn’t even make myself apologise or thank her as my knees felt weak and I ended up sitting by the fountain.

“Baby sitting duties. Boss wanted you to have a familiar face here.” He sneered.

Then I remembered Danny. “Where is my brother?”

“Around.”

Before I could throw up again, the woman passed me a bucket and I waved it away. Looking at Ben, then the room, no one was around apart from the cleaning lady, and even she disappeared once she was done.

“I want to see him.” I demanded.

“Yeah, well I wanted to get drunk and pick up at New Years, but that didn’t happen did it?” He growled. “If you’re done here, I’ll show where you’re staying. Do anything to fuck it all up, you’ll be wishing you got the same treatment as your cousin.”

I looked at him, really looked at him. He had a part in this and for now, all the blame was thrown at him. As I met his gaze, I felt mine harden. The urge to tear him apart had me flexing my fingers, almost like I expected them to turn into claws of their own accord and the second I saw him struggling to swallow, I was going to make him be the one wishing that being scared off like New Years was all that was going happen to him.

“Is that so?” I challenged, finding courage I hadn’t had that night.

For each step I took, he retreated.

’Test. Sarah, whatever you’re doing, it’s a test. Stop!’ Danny urged.

Test?

’Calm down. Stop! Listen to me!’ Danny kept talking and finally I released a breath I didn’t know I had been holding.

“Guess you better show me to my room then.” I spat out, hating myself, but it made sense.

Now wasn't the time.

Ben squared off in front of me, clearly not impressed with what ever that just was. He puffed out his chest and the look of disgust on his face, should have worried me, especially when he charged over and grabbing my upper-arm half dragged, half pushed me towards the stairs. I could feel his nails digging into my skin, the pain sharp and piercing as he leaned down to my ear.

“You’re dead. You know that right?” He threatened in a barely a whisper. “No one can save you now”

I got an idea and stopped completely, going dead weight so he ended up dragging me along the smooth tiling to the base of the stairs.

“Get up!” He yelled and dropping my arm - he left a handprint there which only made me smile.

Then I screamed.

“Help! Please!”

“What?” He jumped away from me and looked around completely confused.

Rachelle wasn’t the only one who had done drama. Granted she was a hell of a lot better at it than I was, but I also had years of fake crying to make Danny feel bad when we were play fighting or he was just being a jerk. Going to the corner, I held my arm and let the tears flow.

“Just leave me alone. I told you I don’t understand what’s happening.” I screamed at him, the sobbing only getting more intense as he came closer in a bid to soothe or threaten me into silence.

Help comes in the form of one of the women that had been at the clinic, as well as an older guy who looked about Scott’s age. They didn’t matter, it was the presence at the top of the stairs I was interested in.

“Please, just let me go home!” I begged them, cowering from the pair as they shoved Ben away and went to help me up.

“What did you do?” The guy snarled at Ben, who went bright red.

“Nuffin, I swear! She-” He stuttered.

“Is a guest. Go home before I have to send your mother flowers.” Scott took over and I quickly wiped my eyes, while Ben was gone in the time it took me stand up.

I wasn’t expecting that and instantly felt guilty. Ben wasn’t exactly my favourite person, but what Scott promised was too harsh. Then again, it didn’t bother me as much I think it should have.

“Miss Attwell, come with me.” He ordered.

The other pair disappeared and hesitantly I made my way up the stairs.

“Please, if I can’t go home, can I see Danny? Is he here too?” I wasn’t faking anymore.

“Now there is some fear I believe in. Don’t try playing games with me, unless you are okay with having their deaths on your conscience.” Scott warned, before motioning me to follow. “Danny is in there. Try leaving, I have guards outside that will shoot you on sight and if you make it past them, I know exactly where your Mother works and what type of van your father drives.”

I understood and with a nod, he kept walking down the corridor, while I quickly went in.

Danny was still a wolf and had been dumped to one side of the room. It was pretty bare, with two single beds and glancing through the doorway, a small en suite was attached to the room too. Instantly I knelt down beside him and gave him a once over. The sores that I had seen at the clinic were already looked less infected, so maybe what ever he had been given worked.

He whined; raising his head to look at me before slumping back down.

“You going to be okay?” I ask him softly.

Danny only whines again and going into the bathroom, I find a face cloth and wet it before going back to him. I wipe his face, before carefully running the wet rag over him, picking up loose fur in the process. I rinse it off and when I come back out, he’s sitting up and panting heavily. I get him some water using the cup on the basin and he’s quick to slobber all over it.

“You heal quicker like this Danny. Sleep some more.”

He limps towards one of the beds and jumps up, circling a few times as he paws at the bedding before dropping down with a sigh.

‘You should sleep too.’ He tells me. ‘You’re going to crash out otherwise.’

“No, you first.” I answer, slapping my hands over my mouth and I looked towards the door. What if someone was listening to us?

‘Just, come sit here with me.’ Danny ordered and I reluctantly I sat beside him on the bed.

It’s actually really comfortable and slowly I lift my legs up, laying along side him. He licks my hand, positioning himself so his head is resting up on my hip facing the door, and before I can say anything else to him, I’m asleep.

-x-

For four days Danny and I refused to leave the bedroom and so we were often forced out to go at meal times. We were never told how long we had to stay here for, or what was next, so we stopped asking and listened to what we could instead. Well, Danny did. I couldn’t hear as much as him.

Ben wasn’t the only test Scott planned, but he was part of at least three more. Danny told me my moods would be all over the place, but I needed to focus on something to keep control. He had used me, our family - hence the sudden perfect son act. All of it started to make sense now, including the sleepy, drunken state I’d first picked him up from the Blake’s in.

Because we couldn’t risk anyone finding out anything, different, about the pair of us and our bond, I couldn’t use Danny as my rock. The night I had been able to see where he was had left me drained and in a completely spaced out state. If either one of us ended up that way, it could be very dangerous.

With nothing to really focus on, my moods and thoughts soon started flitting all over the place. Ben constantly being around to antagonize me wasn’t helping, just like how Scotts presence never far away from us either. We slept in shifts and thought telepathically to each other when it was something we didn’t want anyone else to hear, like trying to work out an escape or discussing what could be happening with everyone else.

My recently discovered preference for raw meat occupied my thoughts if I wasn’t plotting a million different deaths for the pack leader, or pining for Michael and stressing about my family. Not just raw meat; hunting it too. Danny said it was normal, he went through it all as well, just like the dreams of being able to do just that. It was during one of those, right when I was about to bite into my prey that I had to leave it all behind.

“Sarah, wake up. I hear motorbikes!” Danny shook me awake and looking towards the windows, we both moved over to peer out the curtains.

I didn’t understand how no one had come here since our arrival. I expected Michael, or at least Nanna and the other wolves, police too. The lights in the distance were all singular and the steady rumble of the engines wouldn’t have been enough to drown out sirens if the police where coming too.

“Come on.” Danny nudged me and we snuck out of our room.

Despite the situation, Scott had been rather accommodating. We had full run of the house, and he had made sure all phones and means of communication were disconnected or non-existent. We hid at the top of the stairs, using the darkness of the corridor to our advantage as we huddled by the railing and Danny pulled a fake branch of the potted palm tree down to help cover us too.

The engines were cut outside, one by one until there was just silence. It only lasted a second before Scott appeared underneath us with three of his goons in pursuit as he opened the front door.

“What are you doing, here?” He asked calmly, yet there was no denying how agitated he was.

“We gotta talk. Fucking pigs have stopped one of my shipments from coming in, arrested two of my best men and four of our dealers had their place raided.” Someone yelled at him.

“So you came here?”

“Cops are crawling over the Estate, so good thing you got those brats out of there and I’m not stupid enough to go home. What have you done to get me back in the spotlight?”

’It has to be Guy!’ I tell Danny.

He only nods, since I had told him everything I knew until we had been taken; including Scott’s less than clear family history.

“Again, you came here why?” Scott growled.

“Where else can I fucking go? Your mess. You fix it!” Sure enough, the tall yet lanky man with hardly any resemblance to Scott, lumbered into the entry with a furious pack leader behind him. “It’s those Blakes in’it? You should have let me kill that kid when-”

As Guy turns around, Scott has him on the floor in the blink of an eye - I don’t even see his arm move. Scott pounces so he is positioned over his half sibling, fist raised and ready to strike again. He grabs the old, flanno shirt and lifts Guy off the ground so they’re face to face. You don’t need to be down there or be a werewolf to sense his fear.

“Do it and you’ll be right behind him, Guy. Coming here was fucking stupid, even for you.” Scott had thrown two punches in seconds and Guy barely managed to even try blocking him.

Blood ran out of his nose, covering the front of the white singlet while no one moved to help him. A few more hits later, Scott stood and holding out his hand, the butler I vaguely remember seeing when we arrived stepped forward and passed him a cloth to wipe his hands. Scott adjusted his ever present suit jacket, dusting the collar briefly before looking down at Guy who only groaned and struggled to move in front of him.

Danny reached for my arm, and motioned for us to go, but I wasn’t missing this.

“Now, get the fuck out of my house and do not come back here unless I invite you. On your way home, go pay a visit to that old mutt in Claremont and see if you can persuade him and his to back off. It’ll be over in three weeks anyway. If you can’t manage it, I guess it’s time for you to be retired.”

Scott left a quickly as he had come and the few men who had come with Guy, dared to go to his aid. Once he was standing he pushed them away and then looked right up to where Danny and I hid. The pair of them may not look alike, but they had the same unsettling gaze that saw through the darkness and found us.

“Put the word out that old man Blake died. I want those boys found and I want to know what the fuck is going on here.” He snarled at the closest one and the four of them left. It wasn’t long until the sounds of their motorbikes starting up and then disappearing down the drive told us we were on our own again.

Now it was over, we moved apart and sat on the stairs a little more casually. Being stuck in that room was starting to drive us both insane so we were in no hurry to go back in.

“If they’re looking for us, why haven’t they come here yet?” Danny wondered.

“Because they don’t know where you are.” Scott sneered from behind us.

Danny instantly went to shove me down behind him, and in the process I nearly lost my balance and fell down the stairs. The growl was unmissable and Scott ignored it completely as he sat on the top step like there was nothing wrong with him doing that at all.

I ended up standing, which he clearly didn’t like since I was now taller than him and it showed in the way he glared at me.

“Let us go. It’s only a matter of time before we’re found.” I snapped at him.

Scott only laughed, while I could feel Danny in my head. I couldn’t hear him though, blocking him out and I already knew he’d be telling me to back down.

“Is that so? Not even a complete werewolf and you’re already making demands.”

Danny ended up mimicking my actions; always shielding me from Scott as his larger figure blocked me from sight. I stepped around him, already knowing this wasn’t his fight.

“Sit down, pup,” Scott ordered, his attention shifting from me to Danny. “No, go to your room instead. I need to speak with your sister.”

The order was obvious as Scott was acting the part of full Alpha now and I felt the weight of indecision on Danny’s shoulders. He leaned forward slightly so our arms were touching and just that simple act of reassurance fueled me on.

“Anything you want to say to me, you can say to Danny.” I answered him and instantly Danny regained his own composure.

Scott tilted his head, his nostrils flaring as he breathed us in before standing once more. What had I been thinking, Scott wasn’t Ben or like any of the werewolves I knew and this was bad. There was judgement all over his face, as he seemed to take in every little detail we had on display. I don’t know what he saw exactly, but it made him smile.

“Of course. Silly me.” He answered dryly.

Every fibre of my being was telling me to run, a panic I wasn’t familiar with only urging my instincts of danger and glancing at Danny, his hands had curled into fists at his side. Thing was, Scott was much the same; only with rage rather than fear. That was what I was reacting to, not Danny and the flight or fight response was making it hard to think clearly.

I almost felt like I could shift.

There was something unsettling happening inside of me. It wasn’t just instincts, it was something else entirely and nothing Danny could say this time was going to calm me down. Scott nodded, as if being able to sense my thoughts and current dilemmas, and then I looked him in the eye. I knew what I was doing was a mistake. I couldn’t stop myself.

“What do you want Scott.” It wasn’t a question and this only seemed to impress him more.

“I was merely going to inquire about your health. If you feel you are over any side effects from last time, I can continue with the rest of the ritual.” His smile was all teeth as Danny growled, tensed and almost looked like he was going to do what I wanted to do. Attack.

In that instant Scott was on him, and Danny was taken from my side to be slammed up against the wall at the top of the stairs. Scott’s hand was dangerously tight around his throat and Danny claws at it in a bid to free himself.

“She is technically human, pup, you should know better!” He snarled. “You were much more submissive last time. I definitely underestimated you.”

Only when he said that last part, he was looking at me and I couldn’t focus on Scott clearly as my vision blurred and whatever it was inside of me had every bone in my body ache with the need to be released. I barely saw Danny as I fell to stairs in front of me, and I knew he wasn’t doing it this time.

It was Scott who came beside me, leaning in close so we were barely centimeters apart.

“What if I kill him now Sarah? What if I got your Nan here too, and upon the full moon, set our sights on human prey like our ancestors used to do? Are you going to fall to your knees and beg me to stop or close your eyes and wish for it to be over, while you hear them all scream?”

My nails dug into the carpet, so much so the pain from that was a mere distraction to his voice in my ear.

“Your little boyfriend did that. Do you think he’ll stand by and watch you die like he did with his own Mother? What would you do if you knew I wasn’t bluffing and they already had a price on their head. Now I have you and Danny, I don’t need the Blakes any-”

I don’t even know how I moved from the stairs, or how I ended up with my knees digging in below his ribs, with my own hands around his neck. The surprise left him in seconds and the bastard simply laughed. Where ever that strength came disappeared and Scott had my wrists in his hands as he shoved me off him to the side. When he stood, I was dragged up with him.

“I’m going to have to watch my back with you aren’t I little she-wolf!” He taunted, while I stood there horrified by what I had just done. “Shane!”

I jumped as Scott yelled out the name and instantly a person I didn’t reconise appeared at the base of the stairs. Before I could process what was happening, Scott half shoved, half pushed me down the stairs towards him and expecting myself to fall, I didn’t; nimbly regaining my balance half way down.

“Take her outside. I need to speak with Danny.”

My heart stopped and just as I went to start running back up, Shane was there removing any options I had for staying with Danny. It was still warm outside, the crickets sang their song from nearby bushes and apart from them, it was completely silent in the empty lands around us.

“Where are we?” I asked weakly as Shane let me go and we were just left standing there together.

He wasn’t a big man, even though he was taller than me. He was broad shouldered and I’d be expecting him to turn into a bulldog, not a wolf from the hunched over,bulky stance he had. There wasn’t anything actually intimidating about him though. He had kind eyes and despite the way he had taken me outside, his grip had been gentle.

Shane stayed silent and since Scott wasn’t here, I figured I didn’t have too much to lose anyway.

“I said, where are we?” The command in tone was foreign to me, but he reconised it.

“Boss won’t like me telling you that.” He answered with a slight British accent. The bulldog thought only seemed more amusing to me now.

“He isn’t here. Tell. Me.” I was never rude to people and I hoped he didn’t notice the way I cringed at ordering him around.

“This is Mr. Fellans house.”

“Then how has no one found us yet?”

“It’s not in his name. He paid the old owners to keep it in theirs. Purely cash transaction and no one knows about it. He also forbids anyone coming here in wolf form and we swap cars about three k’s from here so even if he is being followed, it’ll turn out to be a dead end.”

Shane loves to talk.

“So how are you all here?” I ask curiously.

“If we talk, we die. My cousin got me the gig out here, but he told one of the Howlers about it and Scott found out. He always finds out. Made me shoot him as a lesson too, and-” Shane stopped talking.

It took me a second to work out why and I realised what I just did. I put Shane in danger now, just like Scott warned me the day I arrived here.

“Say. Nothing.” I snapped at him. “I promise I won’t.”

Any trust and control I had established with him was vacant as he refused to even look at me now.

“You’re a kid. I’m forty-one. I should have known better than to listen to you.” He snarled. “Guess what, Scott just found his next progeny. I heard about you and Mike. Congratulations, you really have signed their death warrants now.”

“What?”

“Boss ain’t got any kids of his own. Can’t have ’em. Mike was his project, the one set to inherit things once he goes. Guess he found something better now.” Shane looked me over like he smelt something foul.

“I- I don’t, I can’t. I just-” I already knew what Scott had been doing.

Danny and I both did. That had been another test, but since I’d managed not to bite with Ben’s stirrings or threats from others, Scott gave me bait I couldn’t refuse. Him.

“What have I done?”

Shane only shook his head and barely a minute later Scott appeared. In one hand he had the dagger I’d seen him use in the clinic and my stomach churned at the memory of that. He said nothing, slicing his index finger before it suddenly being wiped all over forehead. Another two smears on my cheeks, a dot on my chin and a streak across my neck.

I couldn’t move, wishing I didn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, but closing my eyes, all my mistakes were pulling me under and the tears slipped out from under my lashes on their own accord.

It took me a second to realise he was talking, well chanting. It was in a language I didn’t know and looking at him, his eyes were now closed. When he opened them, they were purely wolf and as he talked, so were his teeth as he put a line of his blood across his own throat.

“May the great King accept one more to be of his flesh and blood. We are but one with the great spirit. We run together in his honour as pack. Eternally committed to be one with the wolf as he was cursed to be.” Scott sang out, look up at the star covered sky.

He grabbed my hand and sliced open my palm, ignoring my gasp of surprise. I couldn’t pull it away from him either and the sensation of his tongue lapping at the wound soon stopped my struggles as a shiver ran up my arm and all over me. He let me go and I watched with a morbid fascination as the skin fused itself back together, and looking back at Scott, I stared wide eyed as he cut his own palm and then held it out to me.

“Your turn.” I only stared. “Do it before it heals, you said you’d become one of us Sarah.”

I couldn’t.

I wouldn’t.

Only I did, and not once it did I gag, or find it revolting like the first time. If anything, that hunger I recognize from weeks of starving seemed to finally find something to quench it and the metallic, sour taste that now lingered on my tongue burned down my throat and into my stomach.

“Take her back upstairs. The fever shouldn’t last long for her.” Scott told Shane as I felt myself start to sweat.

He guided me upstairs and Danny met us in the doorway of our room.

“Scott did it?” He asked Shane.

“Yup. Good luck kid.”

I felt hot. Way too hot, so much so I think I could actually pass out. “Danny?”

“You’re okay. I’m here.” He promised, laying me out the bed, he started to fan me with some paper.

It wasn’t enough to cool me down and it felt like hours later when I was willing to give in to the heat and I thought I was going to pass out, I felt my heart slow down - back to its normal pace instead of feeling like I was having a heart attack. I finally managed to sit up and found myself drenched in sweat, while my hands started to tremble as I reached out to Danny.

“What’s happening?” I looked around, not sure what I was expecting.

“Um-” Danny sniffed the space between us. “Nothing. I think it’s over now. You didn’t even pass out. I only did for like five minutes, of course you’d have to beat me at this too.”

There was no missing how impressed he was and I only looked at him like he was speaking another language.

“What?”

“It only lasted about half hour, and you were awake the whole time! Well, semi-conscious. I’ll get you some water.” He disappeared and sure enough returned with a bottle of water.

“So, what does this mean?” I ask him.

“Come the full moon, one bite and you’re one of us. I know you’re going to survive it Sarah. If Jake can, you can.” Danny told me excitedly.

“Shane, the guy who took me outside said Scott is going kill Michael now he has us.” I tell him, not feeling as happy as he is.

“Then I can warn them. Now you’re done, we can go.”

“What?” My first thought was that it was a trap.

“He’s going to let us go, on the condition we don’t do anything stupid or try and avoid him on the full moon. It’s what we talked about when you were taken outside.” Danny grins.

“That is most stupid fucking thing I have ever heard. There is no way, we can just - go!”

I found myself eating my own words as that’s exactly what happened. A town car was waiting outside the following morning and Scott wished us happy birthday before we left, with promises of seeing us again in a couple of weeks. Despite leaving him behind, I knew he was never really gone as he held all the power with what ever happened next and I hated it.