(MxM)Tales Of A Shifter (P2) - The Clan Celebration

Chapter 47 - Not Mine

Chapter 47

Brandon sat on the bed, and quietly downed an entire bottle of water. He'd been vomiting on and off for hours now. Weakness, nausea, they always came running up right after a huge loss occurred inside of him. It was inevitable that after each outpour of his strange power, he fell severely ill, it was like an emptiness inside of him grew where the power once resided for a short time.

Most of the time he prayed for separation from his power. He spent every minute of every day hoping it would leave him in peace....but the sickness that followed was not a pleasant alternative.

Unfortunately coupled with the unbelievable hunger, and pain inside of him there was a mountain of things weighting on Brandon's mind to keep him from wallowing in sorrow.

The escape...was a miserable failure that sat like a guilty blot across every one of Brandon's interaction with Ezekiels family.....even though none of the Guardians treated him unkindly seeing as his actions had almost gotten their sibling killed. Erin and Glen only cared to see him healed.

Nate tried to make him laugh. Walter silently offered peace. Mantilo even cut him slack. He didn't rant or roar or scream at him for attempting to escape. He seemed to see the attack as enough of a punishment for trying to go against his rule...and so the Clan Head spoke no more of his actions. All though he didn't let Brandon out of his sight for long, negating anymore escape attempts for the first few days.

No one knew that Ezekiel had been poisoned, that he should be dead. They believed that he had been injured in the fall but nothing more.

Still it was a terrible relief to know that the Shifters didn't hate or despise him....But for the most part nothing could stop all of the hate and loathing he directed at himself every day he woke up and Ezekiel didn't open his eyes.

Glen had Ezekiel put into a back room on the bottom floor. The room was small, sporting one single cot, a few chairs and a few stands and a window that held three black burning candles that seemed to release a strong scent that relaxed and made one alert at the same time.

All blood had been washed away, Ezekiel clothes and hair had also been cleaned and changed....but he slept like the dead for a long time.

Braddon feared he would never awaken....and yet another part of him had secretly hoped the Shifter would sleep just a little longer, so that Brandon could slip away and never face the man again.

Only a few days were left until the Lock down was lifted...but even now Brandon sensed something coming. Something big. Something dark. He ached to escape. To try to run.

Paranoia and fear choked him....even as an undeniable pull on his heart made him want to melt and scream.

He wanted Ezekiel. So much more than before. So much darker. So much hungrier.

So deeply that Brandon work up in tears from dreams that had him blushing and moaning and clawing for the Guardians touch. Something unnatural that had been pulling on him ever since he meet Ezekiel seemed to have been strengthened ever since Ezekiel had taken his blood.

Something told him that that man belonged to him.....that Brandon needed him.

And yet....Ezekiel had woken up only four days ago.....and he didn't remember anything. Nothing.

He didn't remember any part of the attack....or the poisoning. He didn't remember the Flame...or the blood....or the kiss.

For one second.....I thought...I could have him. Why?

Brandon shook his head at his selfish wants. He remembered the idiotic swell of relief and love that had hit him when he had seen the Shifters sharp blue eyes opening after nearly a week of deathly stillness lying in a medical cot....

Only for a heavy cavern of guilt to come crashing in when he realized that Ezekiel would have a million question to ask him.

But the questions never came. Ezekiel looked at Brandon, groaned and put a hand to his head in pain and the first thing he said was "What's going on? Brandon ....what...." Ezekiel hissed suddenly and dryly.

He pressed on his temples in agony glancing up from beneath his eyelashes he centered confused eyes on Brandon. "How'd we get back over here! Wasn't there just a Ghoul chasing after us..." He recounted weakly searching for the strength to sit up, he had reached out to Brandon....but...."

His pain was so serious....his fatigue so hard to ignore Brandon wanted to swallow hot guilt as he stared at the man he cared so much about coming back from death....because of him. And he had no clue....Brandon had nearly stolen his life.

But nothing hit Brandon harder then the nearly gut crushing spike of need....and hunger that punched him in the stomach as the Flame sensed Ezekiel reaching out to him.

The Flame woke up and snatched for Ezekiel. It screamed inside of him. An unholy feeling that had Brandon on the floor gasping in fear and disbelief.

Brandon allowed Ezekiels family to remove him from the room and leave a confused and worried Ezekiel behind him. After that Brandon couldn't go near Ezekiel....without the Flame trying to devour him. And only him.

It....craved him. As Brandon did. But it wanted to feed. Desperately. And Brandon feared that. He feared himself.

From that moment on....Brandon had swallowed the sharp knife of ridiculous disappointment that tried to raise. Feigning confusion and amnesia Brandon told Ezekiel and his family that he didn't know what had happened out in the forest. That he didn't remember a thing.

And with Ezekiel confused and too weak to recount anything....this lie passed as an easy truth.....

Hes Mine

A small voice whispered to Brandon as he thought of the blue eyed Guardian. But he knew he had to stay away from the innocent Shifter.

No....not mine!

Brandon shouted to himself. Drowning out the silly possessive call, which he didn't understand or wish to indulge anymore.

Im nothing but a monster.

Why would I ever think that he could be mine!