Unwilling Ch. 06

Worse than that was the silence. Nobody said anything, no encouraging words, no reassurances, no consolations to make him feel better about it. Darwin understood though. There was nothing to feel better about, he had ruined Darla's life, and no amount of words or pleading would ever change that. If you bit someone, it was your own responsibility to deal with it. It didn't matter if you meant to or if you didn't, wolves didn't care about good intentions, just actions. Through his actions he had made her one of them, and now it was his obligation to deal with it and make sure she didn't do something stupid. If she survived, of course.

Just when Darwin started to feel pressured to say something, anything to break the silence, Jared leaned forward and pointed at the dirty veneer of a lone gas station at the side of the highway.

"Pull out here, we have to get them cleaned and patched up before sunrise. And we have to plan what do to next."

The Beetle rumbled over the broken concrete parking lot and rolled to a halt right next to the bathroom doors. There was an old pickup truck sitting to one side, but it looked broken down. Nobody else was around. Rayne got out and went to check if the bathroom doors were unlocked, which they weren't, then trotted around the grimy building and disappeared into the shop up front.

A few minutes later he came back, carrying a bundle of unfamiliar packages, soda cans and snacks in one hand, and the key to both bathrooms in the other.

Piling his load onto the front passenger seat he sorted through it and held out a few items for Jared to grab. It looked like clothes, but the overhead light hurt Darwin's eyes too much to take a closer look. Instead he rolled around and buried his face in Jared's lap. When Jared started to twitch and gasp and tense up, Darwin finally realized how close to his crotch he had positioned his face and sat up with a flustered gasp. "Sorry!" he squeaked, cut short by another wave of unpleasant aches in his shoulder.

Jared didn't seem to mind. In fact he just grinned and held out some kind of can, just like the ones you normally bought paint or glue in. Only this one didn't contain any liquids, judging by the label picturing a set of nice, firm buttocks barely covered by hot pants with violet and green leopard dots.

"Those will do nicely, don't you think?" he purred, watching him with a particular kind of warm darkness in his eyes.

"Give me that," Darwin harrumphed as his face turned a pink color. He snatched the can out of Jared's hand and grabbed the other clothing items Rayne held out, only to realize that he couldn't carry them and hold on to the jacket around his mid-section at the same time.

"Here let me help you." Jared grabbed the clothes without waiting for an answer, and proceeded to guide Darwin out of the car. His last glance met Rayne's eyes. "You two make sure to call your parents and friends and tell them what happened. Harry, find out what you can about Darla, and if anyone will miss her find a cover story." He turned away from the car to follow Darwin, who was already limping to the bathroom doors, and added, "and someone please find out if we've got cops on our heels!"

~*Jared*~

The bathroom was just like any other gas station bathroom at the side of a highway. Somebody had tried to clean it at one point during the last week, but it had been a meager effort that had been limited to the floors and ceramics. Jared didn't need his superhuman senses to notice the stink of urine, feces, cigarette smoke and body odor hanging thickly in the air.

Even Darwin seemed taken aback by the slap of scents hitting them at the door, and he stood there blinking confusedly for a few seconds.

"I think I'll get an STD from just standing here," he rasped, hesitant to step onto the dirty white tiles.

Jared carefully shoved him into the small room, right to one of the stalls, his right hand hovering next to Darwin's arm in case he stumbled. "Don't be melodramatic, you can't get sick from anything in here. Just don't touch needles or blades if you find any," he joked. Wedging himself into the stall after Darwin and getting the door closed behind them was no small feat, but he managed.

"What are you doing?" Darwin grumbled indignantly when the stall door fell shut.

Softly pushing him onto the toilet seat Jared grinned and replied, "Helping you. We need to check your wounds. Somebody shot you, remember? We wouldn't want the bullet to stay in there just to have to cut you open later, now, would we?"

He could see a glimpse of Darwin's old self peeking through his eyes when he made a displeased, grumbling sound, but the little flame flickered and died down quickly.

Jared didn't like it. He decided to push Darwin a little, just enough to see if he was truly broken or just... bent out of shape.

He got down in a crouch, tugged at the jacket, and tried to wrench it out of Darwin's sudden death-grip. "Take that off, I need to look you over."

Darwin lifted an eyebrow, looking incredulous. The jacket around his hips was the only piece of clothing he had, and he obviously wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

"Get out of the stall so I can dress," he snarled with furrowed brows. The spark was back, but only just. Still, Jared clung to it like a life line. Not that he planned to give in to Darwin's demands.

Growling lowly he curled his fingers into the piece of clothing, and tensed every muscle in his upper body until he felt the cloth of his shirt cling tightly to his bulging arms and shoulders. He could watch Darwin's eyes grow wider, hear his breath quicken, and then tugged sharply just when Darwin's fingers relaxed with surprise.

The jacket fell away, and for a few short seconds Jared was left to stare at the glorious naked body sitting before him, breathless with wonder and lust.

Darwin's hand cut the moment short as he slapped him hard.

"Out. Now!"

~*~

Jared's cheek was bright red. Grinning at himself in the mirror he felt over the heated hand impression in his face, then turned around to lean against the rickety sink as he watched the dance of naked feet and shadows beneath the bathroom stall door. True, he had aggravated Darwin once more, but it had been for a good cause. The slap proved that Darwin was still himself, and although his face burned where it had been hit it made Jared happy.

"Just underwear and trousers, remember! I still have to check that bullet wound," he said over the shuffle of clothes and feet.

Instead of a reply Darwin shoved open the stall door and stalked out. His bare feet made obscene, soft slapping sounds on the tile floor as he walked in front of Jared, then the blond hunk received another disdaining glare.

"I heard you the first two times. Could you please stop baiting me? I'm sick and tired of having to be vigilant around you." Jared could hear the strain in Darwin's voice, though it was hidden beneath the usual sarcastic lilt. It sounded like Darwin needed a hug, but at the same time Jared was suddenly afraid to just give it.

"Okay," he said instead, and meant it.

Pushing away from the sink he stepped closer to Darwin, letting his eyes feast on his naked chest as he leaned forward and softly touched around the angry red rim of the bullet wound in his shoulder. It was already healing quite well, so Jared leaned closer and looked over Darwin's shoulder to look for an exit wound at his back.

"I really don't want to cut you open," he mumbled, then shuffled around him to have a closer look.

There it was, sitting beneath his shoulder blade, probably contorted by the change of shapes from wolf to human. The hole was even smaller at his back which was puzzling. Darwin had been shot from the front, and the exit wounds always were nastier than the entrance wounds. At least that was what Jared had been told.

"Is it bad?" Darwin whispered, staying as still as possible. His face looked surprised and pale in the mirror, his usually piercing eyes were dark with the remnants of shock, pain and fear.

Jared returned his gaze in the mirror and instinctively stepped closer, turning his head to blow a soft, hot puff of air against Darwin's neck. He could see Darwin's face relax as he lowered his head to the side, baring his neck to Jared's mouth. The gesture filled Jared with happiness, but it also awoke the sudden need for closer contact, skin contact preferably. The instinct to touch, hug, stroke Darwin was so sudden and surprising, he stepped away instead and shivered.

"No, it's not bad at all," he replied throatily, "it's a through-and-through, clean, already healing. You're good to go."

Jared couldn't see any sign of realization on Darwin's face. If the submissive had noticed Jared's short moment of unsettledness, he didn't show it. It was probably better this way, though Jared felt dissatisfied with Darwin's lack of perception or interest in him.

Not that there weren't a myriad of reasons for Darwin to be preoccupied.

"Put on your shirt and the jacket too, it's cold today. Do you want to call your father?" Jared asked, walking over to the bathroom stall to pick up the jacket.

When he turned around, Darwin was already dressed and holding out his hand for the last piece of clothing. "Yes. I think it's time to tell him I'm not dead." His voice was once again void of emotion or sarcasm, the spark was gone from his eyes.

This time though Jared knew Darwin would be alright. All he had to do was give him time.

Half an hour later everyone but Jared had finished their calls. They would have let him go first, or second, or third, but he really had no idea whom to call and what to say. 'Hey Tobias, guess what, I just ruined the life of my sweetheart!' or 'Neil, good to hear your voice! I was driven out of Banes by the local Alpha because I stole people from him, can you help me out?' just didn't sound like the greatest of lines for a family reunion.

His never-ending rivalry with his older brother Tobias didn't bode well in any case, but as much as Jared hated to admit it, Tobias was probably the only person in the states able to help him at that moment.

Rolling his shoulders against the beginning tenseness he stepped into the plastic soundproofing dome, threw in his last quarters and dialed.

He had to wait about five rings before someone picked up. Luckily it was Tobias, not his wife Casey. Jared really didn't like Casey.

"It's one o'clock in the morning, so this had better be good," Tobias drawled into the phone. His normally so businesslike voice was rough from sleep and tiredness.

"It's Jared. Don't hang up on me, okay? I really need your help."

A short, surprised silence followed. Jared could visualize Tobias staring a hole into the air as he collected his thoughts. "Are you for real?" was the first thing Tobias came up with.

He must really be tired, Jared mused with a grin. Tobias usually was so good with words.

"Yes. Remember when you told me not to mess up with the local pack? Well... I kinda did. But I had a very good reason, I promise! And I'm not coming back if you think that's why I'm calling, I just need-"

Tobias didn't let him finish. "So, let me guess," he drew out, "you fell in love with some local werewolf, decided she's the one and claimed her. The local Alpha thought you're stealing his pack members and threw you out or challenged you or something, and now you're afraid of sleeping in your rust bucket of a car. How am I doing so far?"

A breeze of cold morning wind blew over Jared's back, making him shiver involuntarily. Baring his teeth at the phone booth he sighed, then closed his eyes. "He's the one." Damn Tobias.

This time he could hear his brother breathe in sharply, but he didn't hang up. "Excuse me?"

"He. Not she. He's the one. But yeah, you're nearly spot on. Except for the negligible fact that I claimed him because they would've killed him otherwise. The rest is sadly accurate." There was no use in denying or explaining, at least not at that moment. Not as long as he needed his brother's help.

Tobias had always suspected Jared being gay, but it had never been a big deal. Jared had tried women, that much Tobias knew, but the family had had their suspicions for too long a time to be surprised by it now.

"Fine, he. I already told you my opinion on this. It's the same shit that got you thrown out here, but since you couldn't keep it together for your own family, I didn't have much hope you'd manage it for anyone else. So, what can I do for you now that you fucked up, lil' bro?"

For a moment Jared wished he could strangle Tobias through the phone, just because he had been right once more, but the instinct vanished as quickly as it had come. Love for each other in good as in bad times had never been the issue for his family.

"Gloat all you want, dickhead," he growled with a smile at the brotherly play-fight, "you still gonna help me. You won't risk having to take me back."

"Well that's the truth if I ever heard it."

"I need a car, at least I need to use the family credit card to buy a car," Jared explained, hesitant to give away too much information. His family was well off, but they weren't rich - two tornadoes in two years had made sure of that.

"Did your junker finally break down?"

"Well, no, um." How did you tell your brother that you had involuntarily formed a pack just two hours earlier? Jared hesitated, then decided to treat that tid-bit of information like a band-aid. He ripped it off in one move. "I kinda sorta have a pack now, courtesy of the Banes Alpha. We don't fit into my Beetle, and it won't carry that much weight for much longer."

This time Tobias crunched the phone. "You what?" he hissed, just short of yelling at him.

The phone bleeped its 30 second warning tone, and Jared inserted another quarter.

"I got a pack. Many people, bigger car," he repeated, trying not to sound small at the audible scowl from the other end. He wasn't the useless little brother anymore, damn it!

Tobias made a drawn-out groan. "Okay, just to paint a picture here... You find someone you think is the love of your life. You piss on some Alpha's porch to get him, getting run off and homeless in the process. And just to add insult to injury, you drag not one, but bunch of people down the shit hole with you. And now you need to buy a car to fit all the people who's life you've ruined?"

Jared blinked, staring hard at the number pad in front of him.

"Yes."

There wasn't much else he could say, and he was already growing tired of Tobias' domineering tone of voice.

"Fine." It was a short, crisp answer, void of all the sarcasm and exasperation Tobias had shown before.

It flabbergasted Jared. "Really?"

"Yes. You'll have to pay it back once you settle down, my bank account is no charity. But for now buy that damn car and take care of your victims. And call mom as soon as you have done so, she'll freak if you don't after I tell her what you just told me." There was a hint of pride in his older brother's voice, although he tried very hard to sound disgruntled.

A relieved smile played on Jared's lips. "I will. And thanks, bro. Talk to you soon."

Things were definitely looking up.