Run 2: Escape Me Not

Ch 7: Challenge

“Riley...” The teen glanced up from the book he was holding. What he had read, he had no clue, but it was in his hands and it seemed very important to hold onto it. As if it were a safe guard. His eyes widened as they focused onto Valerian. He should have felt overjoyed, comfortable and safe. But how could he when the other was looking at him as if he would eat him. Usually he would have taken that to mean the other wanted sex, but no, this was about food.

His beloved’s skin began to rip and tear in bloody gashes as the bones beneath snapped and cracked to reshape into something new, something larger. Riley scrambled back on the couch he was on, but one twisted, half formed hand caught his ankle, nails dug in, he screamed.

“Riley! Riley wake up!” Hands shook his shoulders firmly, but still gently as well to keep from hurting him. His eyes snapped open, hands braced against the warm chest of Nick who was kneeling beside the couch he had fallen asleep on. Panting, Riley felt tears stream down his face as he suddenly hugged the other, hiding his face against the werewolf’s throat, breathing in that scent of earth that made him feel at home.

“Shh, it’s alright.” Nick murmured as he pulled the other carefully from the couch and sat back, cradling Riley on his lap. The teen pulled back enough to glance up at the other’s face, but with his back to the fire, Nick’s face was left in shadows. “Another nightmare?”

Riley had been in the safe house for nearly a week, and without fair, every time he slept he had a nightmare. Always of being torn apart. Nick told him it came from the anger Valerian was suffering, the growing frustration as he sought out his make. He also promised that Valerian had no intention of hurting Riley either, he was just upset. It was Riley’s mind making up the terror of death from his mates stressed emotions.

“How much longer is it going to take?” Riley murmured as he rested his face against the curve of the other’s throat again. He found relaxation in Nick’s grasp, it was a nice change from fear and stress and tears. He had met dozens of wolves, but none were his match, or at least whatever was inside him now never liked any of them. The magic beneath his skin was almost bored with them all.

“Who knows? I’m hoping for just a few more days at most. I don’t know how much longer we can keep you hidden in one spot. He’ll get desperate enough to tear people apart soon. I do not want to have to subdue him.” Nick sighed. Riley nodded as the other nuzzled his throat and a warm tongue gently began to lick. He had come to learn it was a gesture of liking someone greatly and wanting to protect them. It made Riley laugh lightly considering he was ticklish to that.

Even if he could not see it he could feel Nick smile into his skin. He had caught on quickly that Nick rarely smiled for anyone. He would for Riley though. The teen chalked it up to the fact that he felt like breaking apart at times. A bright smile helped a lot to turn back that dark tide.

“Would you like me to bring you some dinner?” Nick asked at last.

“Is it that late?” Riley blinked. He had been sleeping more and more when not speaking with wolves. Was it having nothing to do that made him sleep so much? He never felt tired, but every time he went out he was gone for hours longer then was normal. He gripped the other’s shoulders more tightly as Nick stood, scooping him up as he went.

“Yes, it is. You barely eat because of it. I’ll have to stuff you while you’re up.” Nick said as he used a foot to knock on the door. Someone outside opened it for them to step out into the hall. No one questioned when Nick carted Riley around, no one met Riley’s eyes in fact. He had learned because of ranking that few could. Nick was one of the few.

The safe house had nearly two dozen dinning rooms with long dark oak tables that seated twelve at one go. It was more comfortable then having a dinning hall or cafeteria. Riley remained where Nick placed him at the head of the table. The walls were a rich burgundy color here, going well with the dark wood of the furnishings. There was a long thin table up against the wall that held the buffet on it. Nick piled a large plate with enough food to make Riley sick, but the teen found he was ravenous for it all.

He stuck a fork into a backed potato and gave Nick a smile as the other went about collecting things on his own plate now. Nick took a seat up on Riley’s left a few moments later. “We’ll try another handful of wolves after dinner, maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Riley nodded as he ate his food absently. He rested one elbow on the table, cheek against the knuckles of his fist. His eyes watched Nick intently. The other was being so helpful. And put up with him so much, he knew it had to get tiring calming him down each time he woke up crying. He would be sick of it, that was for sure. Nick was sweet for that. He was handsome too. Riley shook his head a little when he realized the thought he had just had. A faint rose hue touched his cheeks as he looked down at his food.

“Riley?” He could not look up when Nick said his name. “Is something wrong?” A large, warm hand wrapped around his wrist and it felt right, like always. Nick’s finger tips traced faint circles against the other’s tender inner wrist. That one spot felt so sensitive somehow.

The air burst from the teen’s lungs. “It’s getting worse.” Nick noted. Then Riley looked up at him. Nick’s eyes had darkened, not shifted color. This was the shade that came with something more carnal. “Go back to your room, Riley. Lock the door please. Someone will come by later to tell you if it’s safe or to move you.” Riley tensed and stood up slowly, but Nick did not let go. His hand shifted, shoot out and gripped the other’s hip instead. It was not a firm type of hold, but it did stop the teen.

“Riley.” One word, and it made the other shift slowly closer to Nick. “This isn’t about sex, you know that, yes?” Riley nodded. “I want to be your familiar.” Again a nod was given. “I don’t know why I didn’t notice it till now.”

“Because I didn’t till now.” Riley murmured. In ways, a familiar was closer then a mate, and he was unsure how he knew that. He reached out, now standing close enough to the other that his legs pressed against the other’s knees. Nick parted his knees to pull the other flush up against his body, arms folding around Riley’s waist as the other’s arms draped about his shoulders. Riley was leaning down when a low growl echoed from the doorway of the dinning room.

“I’m challenging you, Nick.” Riley glanced back as Nick gave a vicious snarl, pulling the teen tighter against his form. The man standing in the doorway for all the world could have been Nick’s fairer double. Looked just the same, except the hair was copper gold, brighter then strawberry blond, his eyes a bright hazel. His skin was lighter too. The other gave a slow smile. “I’m challenging my dear little brother for the place of familiar.”

“Brother?” Riley said, mouth just about hitting the floor.

“Half brother!” Nick growled. “And as for you, Bastard of the Ripped Claw Clan, I except.”