Blaine Ch. 02

Caio panted with anger. He looked down at his palms to find bloody, crescent-shaped marks where his nails had punctured his own skin. He would wait. He would find Blaine, and then he would kill the monster that had taken his mate.

~~

When the sun had disappeared, and the moon hung in the sky, they made their move. Caio led the group. It took only mere seconds for the small family of fair folk to close the gap across the field. When they arrived at the hole in the building, there were guards there, as Gally had expected.

Caio lunged at the closest werewolf; he was on him so fast the wolf didn't have time to make a sound. Caio snapped his neck and quickly moved onto the next. There were about ten of them. Each member of his family were fighting ruthlessly, and doing well. They were making a lot of noise though, and Caio knew that more would quickly come.

As they killed the last one, Caio finally took a look around. His nose curled up at the sight. The room was covered in horribly massacred bodies on likely hundreds of tables. So these were Cron's newest experiments, Caio thought. He took a few steps closer to one of the bodies. This one was dead, though he knew not all of them were. He could hear some faint, erratic heartbeats throughout the room. He examined the body before him. It was humanoid, but completely covered in thick, matted brown hair. He speculated, maybe it was a werewolf only partly shifted? But then he knew that they didn't have an in-between form. The wolf side of werewolves seemed to just jump out of their human skin.

His eyes shifted to another body. This one was a wolf; it had blue dye in its fur. Caio lifted his head to look up at his family. They had a mixture of horror and disgust written all over their faces. Caio did a quick visual sweep of the room before he moved on. When his eyes locked on a certain body, his heart stuck in his throat. That couldn't be...

Caio quickly and gracefully crossed the room. There, lying on a table was a naked, lifeless, pale Blaine. Caio reached his hand out, brushing his fingertips over the cold skin of his lover's cheek. He began to shake in anger as he pushed his fingers into the messy blond hair he loved so much. But it wasn't soft and soothing to the touch as he had grown to remember it. It was limp, lifeless. Just like Blaine's body.

Caio looked to his left where Gally stood, his eyes clouded with denial. He then looked at Stephen, who had his eyes closed. Katilette and Maree were holding each other, staring in horror at the body in front of them. Braden just stood off to the side of the group, still not feeling like he completely fit in. Caio turned his attention to Alejandro then, who was the only one seeming to be feeling what he was.

"It doesn't feel right," Caio said calmly, locking eyes with Alejandro. "He's not dead." He was certain. He couldn't hear a heartbeat or a breath coming from Blaine, but he knew he wasn't dead.

Gally placed his large hand on Caio's tense shoulder. "I'm sorry, my brother. You can't deny what you're seeing with your own eyes."

"I would have felt it!" Caio hissed. "I would have felt it if he was really dead. He's not dead. Crone is powerful. He's doing this... somehow." Caio looked at Alejandro again, daring his to contradict him.

"I don't know..." Alejandro said slowly. He placed his palm on Blaine's forehead and closed his eyes. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and he jerked his hand away. "That's not right."

"What?" Caio said impatiently. "What is it Alejandro?" When Alejandro didn't respond he grabbed his friend by the shoulders and shook him fiercely. "Snap out of it Alejandro!"

Alejandro looked up at Caio then. "It's not him Cai, you're right. This body isn't Blaine."

Caio looked down at the lifeless body once more. "Explain."

Alejandro glanced at Gally as the tall man shook his head and moved over to the door to keep watch.

"As you know," Alejandro said quickly, "Even after you die, part of you is left behind with your body," he paused then. Caio was nodding for him to continue. "There is nothing of Blaine in this body, Cai. All I sensed was pure, indescribable pain and violence."

"Crone," Caio snarled, his face contorting with anger.

Alejandro nodded. "Yes, I believe Crone injected Blaine's DNA into one of his test-subject werewolves-"

He was cut off by a loud yip. They all turned to see Gally, in his wolf form, lying still on the floor. Crone was standing over him, grinning. He had a pack of about twenty or more wolves with him that were drooling at the mouth.

Braden screamed and started running toward Gally, only to be restrained by Stephen. "Let me go!" Braden screeched, kicking back at Stephen. Stephen tightened his grip. Caio could tell Gally was only unconscious, but he didn't bother telling Braden, because he knew the little werewolf wouldn't believe him.

Crone was laughing now, seemingly with some discomfort. Caio could see a spot of burned, wrinkled flesh through a hole in Crone's shirt. He smirked, knowing Blaine had done that.

"Don't worry about that little failed experiment," Crone said casually, keeping his eyes only on Caio, "I have many other ideas I have yet to test. One of them is bound to work. My logic is undeniable."

"Combining magic and science to do something like this is hardly logical, Crone. Or sane." Caio snarled. "Now tell me, where is my husband?" He took a step closer to Crone and the group of snarling wolves, glancing at Gally's still-motionless body.

"Ah-ah, I'd stay right there if I were you, vampire." Cone jerked his hand. A second later Blaine stumbled into the room. Caio's heart wrenched. Blaine's wrists were bound with a swirling, fiery, blue mist, his eyes and mouth covered with the same. In the mass of emotions swirling through Caio, pride was one of the strongest. Even though his lover was temporarily blind and mute, he held his chin up high, without fear.

"Blaine," Caio said softly, "Everything's going to be okay." Blaine could only nod in response. Caio glanced around, quickly forming a plan. It would be a little cruel-hearted, but he had to save his mate. His family had packed tightly around him, even Stephen, who was still restraining a sobbing Braden.

Crone was enjoying himself, running his long, bony fingers through Blaine's hair. Blaine was squirming at the unwelcomed touch, and Caio could imagine slowly snapping each one of those blue, disgusting digits.

Caio spun around and slammed him palms into Stephen's chest, causing the man to let go of Braden. Braden sobbed and ran toward Gally. The wolves attacked then, just as Caio had wanted. He and his family quickly sprang into action, attacking the wolves as they charged through the doorway and into the room. Crone and Blaine were jostled to the side. Caio quickly made his way towards them, but a snarling wolf jumped into his path. Caio didn't hesitate. He leapt at the wolf and tackled it to the floor.

Caio struggled with the wolf. He grabbed its jaws as it snapped at him. With a great force, he pulled each jaw in opposite directions, ripping the lower jaw clean off. Caio tossed it aside and stood, looking for Blaine. He found him standing in the corner on the far side of the room; Crone was behind him, using Blaine's smaller form as a shield. Crone had his palm pressed against Blaine's throat, his mist slowly seeping away from Blaine's eyes and mouth and winding itself around Blaine's neck, pulling tighter and tighter. Blaine gasped for breath.

"Well, well, Mr. Garza. I'm so lucky that you two mated. Now I can have fun with two experiments I missed out on," Crone said acidly.

Caio snarled and took a step closer. He stopped when he saw Blaine's face contort with pain as Crone tightened the mist around his lover's throat.

Blaine wheezed. "What is he talking about Cai?"

Caio frowned. He hadn't wanted him to find out this way. Caio glanced around at his family. They were doing a good job at keeping the wolves at bay.

"Oh? You haven't told him, Caio?" Crone had a devious smile on his face. "Well, Caio's parents worked for me. They were faithful servants of mine for many years. They were even there the night that I murdered your parents, Blaine."

Blaine grunted. "No, that's not true. You were alone."

Crone laughed, loud and frantic. "Oh, they were there, waiting outside to capture you. After I killed your parents, you fled right to his! When they realized that you were a boy, the same age of their own son, they suddenly decided my motives weren't just. They pretended they were police, and took you to the station before disappearing. I hunted them down though, and murdered them. By the time I reached them they had already hidden their precious little boy. He got away." Crone snarled in disgust.

"But now, now I have both of you to do what I had always planned."

"I'm so sorry, Blaine." Caio's face was twisted. He was distraught. "I should have told you. I just thought... I thought you'd leave me."

Blaine wouldn't look at Caio. He took quick little breaths, the mist biting in to his skin each time he inhaled.

"This ends now, Crone. Don't be a coward. Fight me," Caio snarled.

Crone shoved Blaine aside. The boy fell to the floor and was held there as Crone's mist slowly wrapped itself around his entire body, immobilizing him.

Caio lunged at Crone. He managed to take a good chunk of skin from his neck before Crone blew him away with his fiery blue mist. His clothes were on fire. He quickly rolled on the floor to put the flames out before they could seep into his body and blow him apart.

He attacked again, staying low this time. He knocked Crone's feet out from under him, sending him to the floor. Caio quickly pulled a knife from his leather belt. As Crone raised his hands to attack; Caio whipped the blade through the air and through Crone's wrist. The detached hand landed with a wet smack on the floor. Crone wailed and blood spurted into the air. He was frantic, swinging his good arm around and shooting his powers out at random, managing only to hit the walls and break beakers on the counters.

Caio watched as Crone stood on wobbly legs, cradling his maimed arm against his chest. Caio looked over at Blaine, who had his eyes closed. Blaine's red powers were seeping out of his ring, enveloping the blue mist that entrapped his body, and his powers slowly started eating through Crone's mist. Caio quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to attract attention to Blaine.

A whimper from Gally had both Crone and Caio looking at the door, where Braden was hunched over the wolf, sobbing loudly.

"You," Crone snarled at Braden. "You traitorous little rat!" He screamed and aimed his hand at the stunned little werewolf boy. The blue mist shot out. Caio watched as Gally threw himself in front of Braden, covering the small boy with the bulk of his wolf body. Caio tensed, waiting for the fiery mist to connect with his brother. It never did.

Blaine was sitting up on the floor, his fist pointed towards them. The ring was glowing and swirling with the boy's powerful red mist. Crone babbled incoherently, completely shocked that the boy's shield could deflect his attack. Blaine moved his hand then, he pushed the shield out toward Cone, knocking the man to the floor again. Blaine shifted the mist so it was pressing down on Crone's throat and his good hand. Caio walked over to Blaine, resting his hand on his shoulder gently as they looked down at the man that killed their parents.

"You do not deserve the piece of death," Blaine said slowly. "But I will give it to you anyway. The short time I knew my parents, they showed me what it was to be gracious. This is for my parents," Blaine glanced over at Caio, then added, "And for Cai's. And for all of the people you have ever hurt." Crone gave him a smile that made Caio grind his teeth. It was a crazy smile, a secretive smile. Blaine closed his eyes and pushed the mist with his mind. It sliced through Crone's neck, severing his head.

Caio wrapped his arms tightly around Blaine's waist. Caio watched a single tear fall from Blaine's beautiful, gold-specked eyes. "I don't blame you for your parents' mistakes, Cai," Blaine said softly.

Caio downcast his eyes. "They were bad people. And I came from them. I don't deserve you."

Caio leaned his stubble-covered cheek into Blaine's gentle caress. "They realized their mistake, and fixed it the best they could. Crone fooled many people. I love you, Cai. You're an amazing person. If you think I'd ever leave you, you're an idiot."

Caio smiled down at the Blaine and gave him a gentle kiss, smoothing down his wild blond hair. The rest of his family walked over then. They all smiled tiredly at each other, but didn't say a word. They were happy just to be whole again.

~~

Blaine and Caio were exhausted when they made it back to the apartment. They crawled into bed, planning to sleep. But they had both been devastated at being apart, they couldn't sleep. They held each other tightly, each enjoying the presence of the other. Caio urged Blaine to feed from him, he accepted gratefully. Blaine had exhausted himself; he didn't have enough energy to heal himself so his shoulder and throat were still red and raw.

He drank slowly, feeling the energy build up in him each time he swallowed. After a few minutes he pulled away. Caio gave him a soft kiss and licked the excess blood from his lips. Blaine smiled and looked down at his hand. His powers had subsided from the ring, leaving it clear once again. It had unlocked itself once the danger had passed. Blaine closed his eyes and rested his palm against his shoulder. He healed it slowly, leaving only ghosted marks of where those wolf's teeth had dug in. He healed his throat next, leaving more light scars there. When he was finished, he cuddled into his husband.

"I was so miserable without you, Cai. Never leave my side."

Caio smiled and rubbed Blaine's stomach gently, causing Blaine to relax against the bed.

"I won't go anywhere, little one."

Caio's hand bumped the head of Blaine's cock, which he found to be rock hard. Caio gave a little smirk and disappeared under the covers. Blaine gasped as his shaft was enveloped by Caio's wet, hot mouth. Caio licked up and down the entire length. He grazed his teeth over the tender flesh and started bobbing his head quickly, hollowing his cheeks. Blaine tangled his fingers into Caio's dark hair and let out a breathy moan.

"So good," Blaine panted softly.

Caio ran his hand over Blaine's side then dragged his nails back down the red skin, shooting chills all over Blaine's body. Caio sucked harder, taking Blaine's cock completely down his throat. Blaine whimpered and began thrusting his hips quickly, fucking Caio's throat. It didn't take long for Blaad. Caio bobbed his head slowly a few times as Blaine's manhood flagged.

Caio crawled back up to his lover and gave him a rough kiss. Blaine let out a soft sigh and hugged his husband. His stomach lurched suddenly. He pushed Caio aside and bolted to the bathroom. Blaine dropped to his knees and heaved the blood he had just drunk into the toiled. He curled up and clutched his stomach, whimpering. Caio kneeled down next to him, pushing his blond hair out of his face.

"Are you alright, angel?" Caio looked nervous. He wiped the blood from the corner of Blaine's mouth and watched him closely.

"My stomach," he groaned. He sat up quickly and wretched into the toiled again. His eyes teared up as he leaned into Caio's chest. He felt horrid.

"Let's get you back to bed." Caio carried Blaine back to bed and tucked him in. He grabbed the small garbage pail and set it at the edge of the bed, just in case, then crawled in next to him. He slowly rubbed Blaine's stomach until his little blond boy fell asleep. Caio was worried. Fair folk rarely got sick.

Blaine woke multiple times throughout the night. He ran out of blood to throw up after the fourth time, so he just dry-heaved over the pail. Caio rubbed his back soothingly and stroked the sweat-matted hair. When the sun came up Caio left the room to find Gally. He was in the kitchen, sitting with Braden and Alejandro. The three of them looked up as he entered the room.

"There's something wrong with Blaine. He's been throwing up all night. I'm worried."

Gally thought for a moment, then stood and followed Caio back to the bedroom. Gally sat down next to Blaine, who was pale and frowning. Gally felt Blaine's forehead. He had a fever and his sweat was cold.

"How do you feel, little one," Gally asked softly.

Blaine groaned. "My stomach hurts so badly. And I'm hungry."

Gally nodded and stroked his arm. He looked up at Caio. "We'll take him to Blaizin; his wife is a gifted warlock. She'll know how to help him." Caio nodded his agreement.

~~

Caio, Blaine, Gally, and Braden arrived at Blaizin's that night. Blaine looked completely exhausted. He was leaning weakly against Caio; his support was the only thing keeping him upright. Gally pressed the buzzer next to the door. Blaizin was expecting them and opened the door a few seconds later.

"It's good to see you again, my friends," Blaizin said. "Though I wish it were under better conditions." He gave Blaine a sad look and stepped aside, letting the group inside. Blaizin led them all up to the third floor. When they reached the top of the stairs, Caio was surprised. The entire third floor was turned into what looked like a large hospital room. There were four twin beds along one wall; the opposite wall had a large counter covered in medical supplies.

Blaizin's wife, Candace, walked over to them. She hugged Gally and Caio in turn. "My friends," she greeted them with a smile. "I'm glad to see you. Let me take a look at your mate, Caio." She gestured towards one of the empty beds. Caio nodded and picked Blaine up, gently placing him on one of the beds. Blaine was panting, still clutching his stomach.

Candace pulled a wheelie chair up to the edge of the bed and sat down. She gently patted Blaine's hair down as she plucked his hands away from his stomach. She pushed his shirt up and applied pressure to a few different places. Blaine gasped in pain and grabbed at Caio's shirt. Caio squatted down and rest his hand on Blaine's chest. "Easy, love," he said softly.

Candace rested her palm against Blaine's stomach and her face twisted in confusion. She stood up and moved across the room, where she grabbed the handle of a machine and wheeled it over to the bedside. She hooked everything up and pulled out a tube of saline gel. "I'm going to need to take an ultrasound." She squeezed some gel onto Blaine's stomach, the coolness of it felt good on his heated skin. Candace grabbed the transducer probe and slowly started spreading the gel around with it. She looked over at the screen, a surprised little gasp escaping her lips.

"What is it?" Caio said nervously.

"I thought I was wrong," Candace mumbled, "This is impossible." She pointed to the screen, and everyone looked. A collective gasp filled the room. "He's pregnant."

Caio collapsed into a chair next to the bed, clutching his lover's hand. "I don't understand. It can't be." But the proof was there on the screen. "Men can't get pregnant. Not even men of the fair world."

Candace was running her hands all over Blaine's stomach and sides. Blaine was staring up at Caio, unable to speak. "Here," Candace said finally. She had her fingertip pressed against the red skin on Blaine's side. "You can see the scar, though it was well hidden by his skin."

Caio leaned in close. He could see it. There was a light pink scar on Blaine's side. Caio's muscles tensed. "What did that monster do to him?"

Candace bit her lip. "I believe that Crone implanted a fertilized egg."

"Why?" Blaine whimpered. "Why me?"

Candace took a deep breath. "Normally, a female's body would reject a baby from a different type of fair folk. The pregnancy would not take. I think that Crone implanted your DNA into the egg, and then surgically altered your body to be able to carry the child. He most likely thought the pregnancy would take, because you were already a mix of two different fair folk. Apparently, he was right. I think the reason Blaine can't keep down any blood is because it's part fairy, so your body is rejecting what is unhealthy for the baby. "