Brother

The surprised scream that left me came out as a breathless squeak, the air instantly leaving my lungs as I was tripped forward towards the ground, only I never actually fell properly thanks to the arm around my waist, and the body behind me that broke the fall. In seconds I was pinned down against the grass, and before I could try to scream again, the roughness of Michael’s hand was over my mouth, yet I wasn’t scared. I was angry.

“I told you, don’t run!” He snapped, closing his eyes for a second as his breathing was as erratic as my heartbeat. “You okay?”

Physically, yes.

The rest of me, not so much.

“Don’t. Scream. Think you can do that?” I nod and he moves his hand.

“Get off me!” Trying not to yell was hard.

“No.”

“I swear, if you don’t get off me right now, I will not only scream, but-”

“I’m about two seconds away, from being unable to stop the change. Just, submit!” The roughness to his voice silences me and I stop trying to get free.

He closes his eyes again, taking slow, deep breaths, while I slide my hand into my pocket, determined to get my phone and call for help. This guy is insane. Then again, he’s a werewolf, so maybe I’m the crazy one in all of this. I don’t really like my odds in getting free, and as he stops feeling so tense, his forehead is suddenly resting on mine as his elbows keep the bulk of his weight off me.

“You, ah, good now?” I whisper, closing my own eyes as I have no idea where to look.

“If I tell you, don’t run, don’t fucking run. I’m sorry, talking about, them, makes me angry and I’m a bit on edge at the moment. If you throw a dog a ball, it’s gonna chase it. Understand?” I nod, still not willing to open my eyes. “I’m not going to you hurt you, and why are your eyes closed?”

“Get off me!”

“Can’t.”

I open my eyes and find him smiling at me. All he gets is me glaring back at him. “Why?”

“I’m still kind of angry. You submitted to me and so you-”

“Submitted?” I interrupted.

His eyebrows go up and leaning on one arm, he uses the other to point out our current position as if I had forgotten.

“I’m the big, bad wolf Bright Eyes. Do as I say.” There is a threat there, but it’s not a serious one. At least, I don’t feel it is. “Now, you’re going to listen okay?”

I huff, unimpressed, but my options are limited right now.

“Tell Danny to stay at my place. He’ll listen to you. I’m trying to work out a way to stop this from getting out of hand, and to try stopping you, and your family, getting more involved that you already are.”

“Why? Why do you even care? If you did, you wouldn’t have changed Danny!”

“Well, I promised him I’d try and keep you all out of this kind of stuff, and I keep my promises. Just like when I said, I wouldn’t hurt you.” Michael answered calmly.

“I’m not going to abandon my brother.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“That makes no sense after what you just told me.”

“You’re really stubborn, you know that right?” He groans. “Get Danny to stay at my place. Put some space between you guys, and maybe I can convince everyone, that I did as they asked, no one else knows anything and you’ll all be left out of it so we can then work out what’s going to happen next.”

“How can I believe you? What if you’re just saying that to then kill him, like those other people your Dad turned? Why do you even want to help us?” I was getting angry as my frustrations only grew. “Does Danny even know any of that?”

“Ah, no. I’ve been a little more focused on getting him changing to prevent him going insane and hunting down half the town. That’s why I thought I’d talk to you; the sensible one?” Michael snapped.

“You know what, I hate you. Get off me, I’m going home.” I start to wiggle to get free, and my leg ends up hitting somewhere near his groin, which distracts him long enough to give me my freedom. “I’ll think about it and talk to you in the morning and when I say the morning, I mean tomorrow!”

He doesn’t chase me as I quickly walk away and leaving the park, I start to run as I hit the street. The second I see my house I absorb the feeling of safety it provides. The lamp light from the living room makes the front yard glow and as I step onto the driveway, Michael is there, again.

“Go away!” I practically scream at him. “I will call the police!”

“This is serious Sarah. You want to know I care, why I’m trying to help you? Because before I even knew who the fuck Danny was, I knew who you were and of course Murphy’s’ Law would see to it that you are the sister to the poor idiot my brothers found!” Now he was the one yelling.

My mind shut down the second I understood what he was saying, and right on cue the front porch light by the door turned on. I suddenly felt way too hot, not just because I sprinted down the street or due to the warm humid night air around us. This wasn’t actually happening.

Opening my mouth, I quickly shut it, and deciding to leave it at that, I turned to go inside. Inside where it was safe, and things made sense. Inside where I’d sit by my window and read a Jane Austen novel that was void werewolves and their motorcycle gang problems.

I never got quite that far though as before I even took a step away, I found myself frozen in place as the heat left me. Shock clamped down, making me feel numb, and the only thing I could feel, was soft, yet firm sensation of Michael’s lips against mine.

This is what it must feel like for a rabbit when it gets stuck in the car headlights on the highway; right before it gets hit.

The sound of my heartbeat roared in my ears, and my eyes fluttered closed all on their own. It would be crazy of me to think this was okay, that I could believe what he had to say, and his motives for helping. It would be even more insane, for me to admit, that this right here, right now, was not only happening, but that I was liking it.

His hand slid past my shoulder, and it was like there was a hidden trigger there as instinctively my lips parted. The hesitation disappeared from the delicate kiss, and I felt the hunger grow as Michael took that as a sign I was wanting this too.

Was I?

My palm was suddenly against his chest, even though I didn’t remember moving. I could feel the way his heart was beating beneath the skin, nearly as intense as my own. It wasn’t all bad as seconds slowed down to feel like an eternity and if I could just turn off my mind, ignore the thoughts that had decided this, what ever this actually was, equalled bad decision it would be amazing. He called me the sensible one, and finding myself in this position wasn’t really helping my case.

To let go right now, to stop over thinking and just let it happen would be-

I nearly tripped over my own feet as I stumbled backwards, and away; not quick enough to miss the rumble that started in his chest. His face instantly set in a frown, the growl of disapproval following me as I covered my mouth with my hand like that alone could stop it from happening again.

Michael took one step forward and I ran out of room to escape as I had the back of Nanna’s car blocking me in. So, I prepared to defend myself, like I should have done to start of with. Leaving my mouth revealed once more; still tingling from having his just there, my hand now connected to the side of his face. It sounded like it would hurt. My palm hurt. He barely flinched.

“This isn’t a Valentines Day movie! You don’t just, kiss people like that!” I blurted out, my cheeks instantly burning as I sounded ridiculous - mostly because I was so breathless.

The hurt left him, and instead he just looked pleased with himself; I have no idea why. “Like that?”

“Yes, exactly like that!” I retorted, trying to sound a little dignified.

“What was wrong with, that?”

“Sarah, is that you out there?” Nanna called out, the laugh already in her tone.

She probably saw it all.

A growl like sound of my own left me and shoving past him, I headed to the path that would take me to the front door and the devil herself. “Yes Nan!”

“Talk to you tomorrow Bright Eyes!” Michael’s words followed me inside and I wasn’t the only one who heard them.

“No.” I told her, slipping off my shoes.

“What? I wasn’t going to say anything, and I definitely wasn’t going to ask, who was that?” She smiled hopefully.

“Good, because I wasn’t going to tell you anyway.”

I ran up the stairs and into my room, diving under the covers on my bed as I tried to convince myself that none of that had actually just happened. Either way, it was never, ever happening again.

-x-

Danny wasn’t talking to me at breakfast, which was the exact opposite to Nanna who only wanted to talk to me. As soon as she worked out something going on between me and Danny, she started to go fishing. It took her all of two seconds to hit the nail on the head.

“So, Sarah, who was the young man who walked you home last night?” She stirred the sugar into her tea, acting like a queen in court as she glanced between the pair of us.

Ignoring Danny, I fiddled with the scrambled eggs on my plate, yet I had never been more aware of my brother glaring at me before. “No one.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe considering-”

“He’s no one.” I answered quickly.

“Considering what Nan?” Danny spoke as I did, only he was louder and sounded a lot more annoyed too.

If the old woman had half a brain, she’d not say what I was scared she was going to.

“Considering the care he took, walking her safely to the front door. I told you not to walk alone at night Sarah. Sure this place is safe, but you just never know who the peak season brings to town!” She winked at me as she lifted her tea cup to take a sip.

“You went out?” It was like I was part of an interrogation. Meet Sergeant Nanna, todays resident good cop and Detective Danny, bad cop. “You called, but then never answered when I called back. What happened? I told you not to go anywhere alone!”

“Nothing happened. I nearly got to the beach, changed my mind, and he just got there so walked me back home.” I shrugged. “And they say chivalry is dead.”

Nanna giggled to herself, before getting up to locate more napkins - that she didn’t actually need and Danny was quick to lean closer. “He stunk of you when arrived at the party. Why?”

“I fell over, he caught me and stopped me from making an ass out of myself.” I lied.

“You, fell?” He didn’t believe it.

“I don’t have night vision! You said you trusted him, so should I not?”

“No, he’s good.” Danny’s eyes moved down next to my coffee cup and following his tense gaze, I cringed. Michaels name was on the screen, flashing on and off as the sound had been turned to silent. “So, why is he calling you?”

“I dunno, you answer it.” I handed it over as Nanna sat back down.

“Hello?” His tone was like ice. “No, we’re busy.”

Just like that he hung up and passed me back my phone. “Thanks.”

The rest of breakfast carried on just as awkwardly as it started and I was sad to see Nanna go, just because it meant I was going to be alone with Danny. As soon as I said goodbye to her, I ran inside and it took Danny a couple of minutes to find me as I tried to hide in my wardrobe under the disguise of sorting washing.

“You know how you asked me what’s it like being a werewolf?” I nodded. “After talking to Justin, I learnt something new last night.”

“Oh?” I faked interest.

“So much is said without words, you know and I’ve got the abilities some of the greatest psychologists wish they had. Animals notice more than humans, so if I was to ask you, what happened last night, I could tell if you’re lying.” He mused. “Not just from your body language either, but now I can smell your fear. It’s subtle, but it’s there as you’re scared I’m right and you’ve got something to hide.”

He moves to block me in the walk in wardrobe, his gaze unnerving me further. Just like when Michael said don’t run and I did, I want to run again.

“You’re a bully.” I point out, going back to picking up my dirty clothes from the floor to put in the hamper.

“You’re a liar.”

“I’m not lying. He did stop me from falling.”

I was just skipping a minor detail or two, like the fact, I was only falling because he was actually taking me down cause I chose to run away from the crazy werewolf.

“Sarah.” Danny warned.

I dropped the hamper and turned to face him. “Danny.”

“You’re not going to win this one. Just tell me!” He groaned.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“It’s not my place to tell.”

I leave the wardrobe, ducking under his arm to get out and he follows me down the kitchen.

“Tell me!” He whines, turning up his annoying level.

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No! Go see your pack leader.”

“No!”

“Yes.”

We carry on for another five minutes and had our parents been home instead of at work, it never would have lasted that long. Annoying I am the one to give in. “What do you know about their past? Like the pack stuff and what ever?”

“Not much. Why?”

We sit down at the dining table, and I decide to tell him; everything. Well, apart from how Michael and I left things.

“So, if I go stay with them until these, pack people, leave, you guys will be left alone?” Danny asks slowly.

“Michael seems to think so. Do you really trust him, or is that whole, wolf thing making you think that?”

“Fuck. I dunno Sar. It doesn’t matter though does it. I have to go.”

“What? You’re kidding right?” The all too familiar rush of panic hits me in the stomach and I grab onto his arm. “You can’t go!”

“Yeah I can. This is my fault, and I will deal with the consequences!” He answered, sounding deadly serious. “If things go to shit, I’ll come home and we’ll go. Start suggesting holidays or something to Mum and Dad. Nanna will give us some money, I’ll tell her we’re in trouble. She’ll help.”

He started to ramble on about back up plans and being ready to run; sounding like a criminal preparing to commit a crime. It didnt sound real as he thought over places to hide bodies, and the threats he made to people we didn’t even know apart from a name made me wonder just who, or what, I now had for a brother.

“Survive. I will survive this, we all will and we can start over.” He decided. “You can talk Mum and Dad into doing anything.”

My phone rang and Danny stopped, looking at me as if I was the enemy before his eyes seemed to refocus and he nodded, a sign to answer it.

“What?” I greeted Michael.

“So, decided what you’re going to do?” He asked and looking at Danny, he nodded again.

“Danny will be joining you.”

“Have you spoken to him?”

“I told him everything, and he is willing to go on his own accord. I didn’t have to do anything.” As the words left me, I hated it.

“I’m already on my way. See you soon.” He hung up and I stopped myself from looking at Danny.

Not that it mattered, he was upstairs in the blink of an eye, packing his bag. I didn’t move, clueless how I could spin this to Mum and Dad. I didn’t want him to go. There had to be something else we could do and when the front door opened and Michael walked in, I still hadn’t worked it out.

“Sarah? Sarah?” Danny stood by the doorway, but again I didn’t look at him.

No I chose to glare at Michael instead.

“Don’t go Danny. We can work something out.”

“But-” He started.

“It’s not permanent, couple of weeks, maybe a month.” Michael interrupted.

“What’s in this for you? I mean really, you had to change someone, to what? Babysit them?”

“Responsibility. If he does fuck up, I’m the one to be punished for it.” He answered simply.

“Danny, stay.” I begged.

Michael looked thoughtful for a moment, stepping around the corner as if he meant to stay of it. I didn’t miss the way Danny now looked nervous either.

“I’m not risking it Sar!” Danny grunted.

“Think of Mum and Dad, what are they going to do when I tell them you’ve gone. Again. Can I even tell them where? How much more can you put them through!” I yelled. “Think of me! I need you to be here, we all do!”

“I am thinking of all of you! We’ve been lucky, especially if they’re as bad as he says!”

“That’s just it! You’re taking his word! Danny, be serious!” It’s like talking to a brick wall.

“I’ll call you tonight, I’ll keep in touch. I’m going.”

With that he turned to walk out and I got up, chasing after him. “No! No Danny! This is a bad idea, I know it is!”

I hated how desperate I sounded, but I really did feel like this was a wrong move; if he left, it wouldn’t be as temporary as Michael made it sound.

“For once, trust me to make the right decision!” He snapped.

“Cause you’ve made some great choices lately!” I retorted.

“I know, but I mean it. You have to trust me, please, just trust me!”

The wetness around my eyes had me wiping them, as I felt like I was breaking inside. If he went out that door, the sense of dread that powered the thought of him not returning took over.

“I’m going now. Stay safe Sarah.”

He left and Michael was right behind him; acting as if I wasn’t even there. This wasn’t happening.

“No! No! Danny!” Running after them, Michael had started the car already.

“A couple of weeks Sar. I’ll be home for Christmas, and I’ll talk to you every day!” He promised from the car window as he was taken away and there wasn’t nothing I could do about it.

I just hope he knows what he’s doing.