The Kitty Cat's Mates (ManxMen)

44 | Delving Into the Past

Kain and his brothers watched them with bright eyes. When these men got closer to where they stood, excitement slowly escaped from the boys' clutches. They low-key glanced up at the people that moved past them. One black-haired man suddenly pinched Kain on his swollen cheek along the way, silently chuckling as the boy hissed before he walked away. It was their Uncle Arkm

When the person they were waiting for came into view, Kain's heart leaped. The man, crowned with jet-black strands as they were, stared back at them. He had long, disheveled hair; his skin kissed by the sun and a body that announced that he was nothing close to a slacker. And with the proud, gentle smile that was on his lips, he lifted his broad and calloused hand and softly patted each of the brothers on their heads. Kain barely contained his happiness. Then when the said man passed after them, Kain saw his and Roxana's fingers twist around each other for a moment before they parted ways again.

It was a simple action, but every day, they treasured the only moment they were blessed with to see and interact with Azrael — the triplet's father.

After the feeding session, all the slaves are then put back and cramped to their resigned dungeons at night.

Sprawled to the floor on the corner, Kain hummed to himself as he twirled the chains around his fingers. His singing was quiet, yet his voice was soulful. Powerful, in a way. You don't really call a guy's voice beautiful, but his was. He got it from Roxana.

Yusef stared down at his brother, who was sitting, legs spread wide, on the floor. "Lazarus messed with you again, huh?"

Kain stopped singing.

"You should stop playing along with his games," Zacharias added, sitting himself down. His palm pricked as it contacted with their bed — the cold cement floor.

"Bah! That fool can't bring me down," retorted Kain.

"That's not the point," Yusef puffed.

"It's better than surrendering to that fucker—"

"Hush!"

"Hmph."

Suddenly, they raised their brows when someone hacked a series of coughs behind the bars that Kain was leaning on. Kain turned around and immediately saw the digits burned long ago onto the nape of a much younger boy. No. 187 was his name. At least that was the title the vampires had subjected him to. But to Kain and his brothers, he was Lucky.

Kain reached his hand out past the bars and to him. "How are you, little brother?"

The boy turned and looked back at him. His eyes were of green and blue. He darted his eyes to Zacharias and Yusef, then led his gaze back on the ground. "My chest just feels a little weird," he replied. Zacharias walked towards him.

"Is it bad this time?" Yusef asked, a worried crease visible in his face.

Lucky paused. "... No. Not really," he then answered.

"Don't worry. You'll get stronger, buddy." Kain patted his head, difficultly running his fingers on the boy's tangled black hair afterward.

Lucky's pain-stricken face stirred away, and he replaced it with a bright smile. Unlike them, the boy was not as blessed as his older brothers when it comes to physical vigor. And that's where his nickname arrived — Lucky — since for a person in his state, he was lucky that the Du Marais had left him alive. And every day, they prayed for his health.

Suddenly, noises echoed towards the direction of their sector. Their brows raised as the main door burst open. A guard dragged a boy older than the triplets who looked no more aged than seventeen.

"You stinkin' brat. Get your ass up! Up!"

Kain, his brothers, and the others on different cellblocks, peeked out of their cramped dungeon, just in time to see the older boy receive two hard dives land on his ribs, before he got lifted and harshly thrown behind bars.

"You should learn better from now on not to disregard past hours, boy," growled the man who was guarding their cell sector. "Pathetic good-for-nothing," he spat before stomping out.

There were cracked cries and silent whimpers against the drags and grinds of chains that echoed throughout the walls. Kain dug his grown nails in his palms. Desperation clung on his insides, yet he couldn't do anything. They couldn't do anything. The air relished the undeniable stink that refused to leave their midst, like a dead rat puffed with a horrible stench of perfume.

But they were used to it. They were all used to this, used to the violent bindings that wrapped their senses day and night for years he gave up keeping track of. Every morning, the sun would be there, just outside the barred window. To greet them with a harsh glare, to remind them they were on another stage of limbo, another day that secluded them from their freedom, their own will, their dignity, morality, potential, and power.

This had turned too close to normal, to close to being all right. And they believed it was, even if it was far from it. However, on some nights, the brothers would savor the gentleness that the moon brought. They would dream of many things outside the barred windows. And they would wonder: would they ever break free from this?

They could only wonder... Until that fateful day arrived.

One day, during work hours, Lucky started having a violent fit of coughs. Without second thoughts, Kain tried to rush to him, but static and whiteness was the one who greeted him when a guard struck him on the head.

"What do you think you're doin'? Get back to work!" snarled the guard.

Yusef rushed to Kain's side and aided him up. He, too, received a beating, but after showing that he was just trying to help, he was left alone. Gulping and reluctant, they turned around. Along the way, Yusef looked over his shoulder, and his chest tightened when he saw Lucky hunched over to the ground. His youngest brother was looking back at him, pain evident in his eyes, almost as if he was begging for help before some guards picked him up.

Yusef took a sharp intake of breath and turned back to him, but then the guard earlier blocked his path and prodded him with his baton.

"Go on. Your brother will be taken care of," said the annoyed man. "Now move. Move!"

The teenager was still reluctant. Something screamed inside of him, clawing through his guts, but a blow on his face swayed him back to reality.

"I said, move!" roared the guard, threatening by lifting his weapon again.

Finally, Yusef resigned. He quickly dragged himself and Kain away. And he decided that he would just wait until night to check on their youngest brother.

However, that night... 

Lucky did not return.