She Conceived My Brother's Bastard (Raivh and Anj)

[Raivh]

Blood. Black lips curled back as a guttural growl rattled his chest cavity and escaped out the sides of his maw, causing his prey to shudder in the last moments of its existence. The young buck kicked, a last and vain attempt to free itself, but the he jerked out of the way and maintained his hold, teeth penetrating deeper into the buck’s jugular.

When the last breath heaved in the animal’s lungs was when he released, letting his jaw go slack. He lifted his head and stared down at the dead elk, its large black eyes glossed over, the last light of life absent as it stared back. It was a good kill, not one usually made without at least two other hunters, but Nathaniel had sent the rest of his pack to scour the forest for other animals. He didn’t want them getting in the way, not when his mind was so overclouded with the need to kill, to draw blood, inflict pain.

Nathan. The voice that entered his mind was female, and the only woman that hunted with him was the one his father had desired Nathaniel to take as his mate. He wheeled around, gnashing his teeth at her in a vicious, aggressive display, the wolf’s distaste at having his moment of victory in hunt disturbed. It wasn’t the reaction he’d intended to give her.

Jacqueline let out a low whine and lowered her ears, pressing them flat against her skull as she approached. Dragging his humanity back to the surface, Nathaniel relaxed his features, removing the snarl that turned the strong female submissive. A quick lick to the chin and a brush of her body against his was what he received before the woman went to tend to the buck he’d just taken out.

His eyes followed her, tracking her every move. She’d stopped questioning why he was so unresponsive to her touch, to her affection. Are you coming back with us? Nathan’s lips jerked up. The low growl that thrummed in the air was answer enough. With such deep, almost mournful amber eyes she met his bitter glare. Nathan…will you come by my place tonight? I’ll cook dinner and we can—

The others are descending. You should get going. Head held high, jaw tight, he returned her amber stare and jerked his head in the direction of the cluster of rural and forest land their pack had roamed for centuries. When she didn’t move, he narrowed his eyes and flashed his teeth again. This time the sound that tore from him echoed off the surrounding pines before it was carried away by the gusting wind.

Jacqueline wouldn’t be fazed, not so easily, not when she knew he wouldn’t do a thing to harm her, and he realized this when she lifted her head in defiance. Her ears laid flat against her head once more, her teeth bared at him in return. Fast approaching was her heat; he wouldn’t be able to avoid her then. Already her scent was changing, pheromones increasing, taunting. Tempting.

Fine! Her voice was shrill as it bounced around inside his mind. Had she been human, there would have been tears rolling down her cheeks. He could sense the strain in their mental connection, the tension in her body. She wanted to lash out at him, but he possessed a great deal more strength than she did. [/i]Humiliate me some more because you refuse to claim what’s been given to you![/i] That wasn’t what he was doing; at least it wasn’t what he thought he was doing. He was kind to her at least, made sure she was taken care of. Love wasn’t always a given between a mated pair, but it was a rare occurrence, just like they were. Female lycanthropes were uncommon. Many males took on human lovers, marked them.

Ears up, alert; he glanced down the mountain toward Jacqueline’s retreating form. Seconds passed. Minutes. When he could no longer hear her lithe body moving toward home, he began his descent, ready to return to the man that he was. A few feet from the entrance of his house, he shifted, and the frigid bite of the air sank its teeth into his hide. Shoving the door open, he looked around. Quiet. Just as it had been when he’d left. The day after his brother had attacked and killed their father he’d run off, gone rogue. Now it was Nathan who reigned alpha. He was the pride of the pack, but he was young, and the elders didn’t trust his every judgment. It made him edgy, hostile; not himself.

Licking his lips, he moved deeper into the house, crossing over wooden flooring toward the stairs that led up to his bedroom. The place still reeked of blood, of deceit and betrayal. He dressed without thoughts of staying long, preferring to sleep in the woods, guard what was now his territory; keep a sharp eye out for his corrupt sibling. By the time he was headed out again, snow was falling from the sky, drifting to the earth at a steady pace, the icy flakes large. Taking the road, he walked for a good several miles before the air became redolent of humans. A blast of wind crashed against his body, bringing with it a stronger scent, one that he’d caught a whiff of before.

Drawing to a stop, he breathed deep. Musk. His brother’s scent. The beast inside of Nathaniel stirred, anger and curiosity provoked. He followed it up, weaving through trees, avoiding the hiking path that he knew eventually led to a road not frequented by cars, not during this time of the year. When he reached the clearing, the sound of rushing water hit his ears, and the smell he’d recognized was pinpointed. His eyes locked on the woman, and he shifted his weight. Something about her was off, not right. Approaching, he peered over the edge of a ravine, the drop a good several hundred feet and fenced by a sturdy metal barrier that had obviously been collided with before.

Once his feet hit pavement, he stopped. It was her, without a doubt. “Should I turn around?” He bore no expression, no sign of concern or indifference.

“Or are you having second thoughts?” Taking another step forward, his mind moving a mile a minute, he angled his head to the side. His nostrils flared; that scent. A child. She’d conceived. Not unusual, but not desired. Nathaniel’s green eyes took on a darker look and his jaw tightened.

 

[Defiant.Anjeru]

Shaila stood, in complete silence, ears listening to the rushing waters beneath her. Dark, dark eyes of blue stared down, watching the waters swirl together, crashing on the rocks and subtle waves breaking on the banks of the river. The wind was nearly nonexistent, her long black strands of hair falling in faint, barely noticeable waves to spill haphazardly around her shoulders. To think she had reached this point; wasn’t so long ago that she had been carefree, in love, and without too many worries. That time felt like centuries ago now…each step she had taken to this place had felt like years, her legs feeling like they’d been weighted down and she was dragging herself here through quicksand. Yet…what else could she do? Shaila wasn’t even sure this had been her intention. She’d come here, leaned over the low steel barrier to the ravine to peer at the river, then decided in that instant that this was what she had to do.

Her pale hand reached out, slim fingers grasping the light pole just beside her to give her a hold. A booted foot placed itself upon the metal barrier, using her hold to hoist herself up upon it. Her hand began to shake, palm becoming damp with nervous sweat as she stared down. Suddenly, she didn’t want to let go of that post. Her legs trembled, threatening to give way beneath her; they threatened to make this life altering decision for her.

Steel yourself, Shaila…you have to do this…he wasn’t human…and it won’t be either…, she reminded herself mentally. Her free hand found home on her flat abdomen. There, beneath her palm, was life. A life she’d created with a man she’d thought she’d loved. Yet, after finally tumbling in between the sheets with him, he had disappeared. She had thought she could accept that part of him she knew wasn’t human but when she had missed her period and sat in the bathroom, staring at the stick that had turned blue, she knew she couldn’t. A baby. An inhuman baby. At twenty, she doubted she could even raise a baby by herself…much less an abnormal baby.

What else could she do? She had spent days, weeks, looking for him. He had turned up nowhere. It was like he’d vanished off the surface of the Earth. Where did he go? Had this been his intention all along; use her to breed? Would he come back for his offspring? Would he…kill her? He’d claimed to love her, they’d been together for weeks before they’d slept together, but then he had left, or vanished…what had happened to him?

Her hand caressed her abdomen briefly, before pulling away from the life that was nestled there. She couldn’t even think of getting attached. She didn’t want this. She hadn’t wanted any of this. This was a bad idea; it all was – sleeping with him, getting pregnant, standing here ready to fling herself to her death in the icy hands of the waters underneath her. “Forgive me…” she whispered.

The very moment that she moved to fling herself from the dented barrier and over the ledge, a voice stopped her. She jolted. Her head turned quickly, both hands now grasping at the pole to keep herself from slipping…ironically. She hadn’t even heard him approach. Where had he come from? Did…did he live around here? Who lived around here? And who came around here this time of night? Well…she did, so she supposed it wasn’t too unheard of.

“I…I am uncertain,” she finally whispered, swallowing the thick blockage that suddenly felt within her throat. He…he looked familiar. She had a sudden sense of déjà vu. “What would you have of me? You know nothing about me, my life. What…I am going through.” Her dark eyes returned to the waters beneath her. “I feel it is the only option I have left.”

[Hope this was alright.]

 

[Raivh]

Asking didn’t have a lot to do with learning or knowing that the young woman perched on the steel rail separating the road from a cold, dark, watery grave. All he had to do was breathe deep and every ounce of apprehension that poured from her body filtered into his. She regretted the child growing inside of her, or at least the situation. Avery never had been one to stick around, tend to his women during pregnancy. Many times Nathaniel had witnessed human women just like this one—scared, unsure, young—live miserably with the creature developing inside of them, shifting in the womb from babe to beast, and die during childbirth. His eyes pierced deep into hers; she’d loved his brother, loved Avery. And that disgusted him. The muscles in his jaw became tauter when she looked away, stating that jumping, death, was her only option. She was looking for an out

“I know that you’re standing on a highway rail, thinking about jumping down into that river.” That was something he knew about her, all he really needed to know about her. Yet he knew more, knew what had driven her to climb up there, look down and question what she’d done, what would become of her if she didn’t jump. Slow, measured footsteps brought him closer to her, gradually whittling down the distance between them. He stopped five feet to her left, palms pressed to the icy metal.

Eyebrows raised, he peered down into the ravine and lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Long way down, isn’t it?” Licking his lips, he lifted one leg over the rail, then the other, positioning himself dangerously close to the edge. It gave him a better view of just how far down it was. “Yeah, I’d say the moment you hit that water it’s going to feel like you rode the front of a semi straight into a concrete wall; ice or no ice.” He filled his lungs with a deep breath of the frigid air and glanced up at her. She had blue eyes, dark. Avery’s were gray like their late mother’s, while Nathaniel had received his father’s eyes. Shifting closer to where she stood, his shoulder blocking her left leg, he turned to face her, back to the abyss and the wind that whipped across it.

“You want to step down?” he asked, staring up at her. Climbing back over to the other side, he reached up, offering her a hand down. If he let her dive off that cliff, she would likely die a less painful death than the one the life in her womb would chance to bequeath her. “Not sure how I’m going to explain to the authorities my chance happening here tonight if you decide to jump.”

 

[Defiant.Anjeru]

His steps were slow, hesitant almost, like he was approaching a frightened doe that was poised to jump at the first sign of danger. As he moved toward her, his steps silent, her hands tightened on the post. He didn’t come too close, instead choosing to stand a few feet away from her, his hands pressed to the barrier. She clung to that cold post like it was her very lifeline; such an ironic action, considering. Hadn’t she just almost released it and tossed herself over into the cold watery depths of the river, to her icy grave? The wind passed by subtly, lifting strands of her hair to dance about her shoulders slightly as she moved her dark eyes back toward the waters below.

His words reached her ears and she visibly winced, recoiling a bit by leaning back ever so slightly. Those words didn’t paint a pretty picture in her mind; not one little bit, but what she did expect honestly if she threw herself off the cliff into the ravine? A peaceful death? Her eyes lifted, watched as he moved over the barricade to stand dangerously close to the edge. They widened slightly and she swallowed, gripping the pole deathly tight in her hands. The words ‘be careful’ were on the tip of her tongue; such a hypocrite. She nearly jolted when she realized how close he was now to her, turned toward her and effectively blocking her path down; she wasn’t likely to make it down to the water now without knocking him in with her. Her slim frame trembled slightly; she didn’t want to be a murderer…but by killing herself and her baby, wasn’t that exactly what she would be?

Want to step down? His words echoed in her thoughts. He climbed back over the barrier, offering her his hand. It was either now or never. Yet she stood in indecision, her eyes looking down at him from her escalated height, slightly wide. They moved about restlessly, indicating the internal struggle she was facing within. “The only way they’d ask you anything is if you hung around long enough after I jumped…” she whispered, staring down at his hand for a very long moment. “You’re just a stranger. You could turn and walk away; act like you never saw a thing.” She sighed softly, white teeth biting at her lower lip. “It’s probably better that way…”

Her fingers trembled as she slowly pulled them from the lamp post, balancing precariously on the metal that had separated her from the ravine before she had dared to climb up on it. Finally…after what felt like an eternity later, she made her choice though she was still slightly uncertain of it. Carefully her hand was placed within his and she allowed him to help her down to the pavement, the wind sifting the folds of her long, black skirt as it swayed about her legs.

 

[Raivh]

Her thought, emotions, feeling; he could see every one of them flit through the depths of her blue eyes. And fear. She was frightened, both of the jump and what not making the leap could mean. What she said was true, he wouldn’t be facing any particularly harsh persecution for turning around, leaving her be and allowing her to choose death. On the other hand, opting to ignore the young woman’s life was another matter because she carried his brother’s child, Avery’s bastard. That babe forming in her womb would have no father; and she no husband whether she lived or died.

“Maybe.” He shifted forward; his green eyes focused on her every move. She was a beautiful young woman, and his gaze flicked to her raven black hair as it whipped about in the wind. Once she was on the ground, her height no longer aided by the metal rail, he towered over her. A slow, satisfied smile spread over his face, victorious. With his head angled a fraction to the left, he looked over her shoulder, toward the trees and the path that would take them away from the bridge. Her scent flooded his senses. She still bore his brother’s mark, an inevitable happening between a mated pair.

Keeping a hold on her hand, he began to lead her away, back toward the main road, toward civilization—her own kind. His footsteps were slow, paced so that she wouldn’t have to run to keep up. It was a struggle, long as his legs were, but he remained just a few inches ahead of her step, if not right by her side.

“It’s a cold night.” Nathaniel stated, releasing her hand once they were a good twenty feet from the bridge. Arching a brow, he glanced down at her attire, not scrutinizing her appearance as much as he was displeased with how she was dressed. Of course, she’d been in the mindset to commit suicide, and no doubt hadn’t worried about how she was clothed when she made the plunge. “How far from here do you live?” Entering the forest, he glanced in the direction the human scent was coming from, carried by the wind.

“A mile? Two? Three?” She couldn’t have lived far, not to have walked to the bridge dressed as she was without being completely miserable. Again his green eyes fell on her, and he noted the blue tint of her lips. Maybe she had trekked a decent distance. Inhaling a deep breath, he coughed, and slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Such a foul stench she had about her. Gritting his teeth, he fixed his eyes in the direction of his own home, wondering when and if he’d ever see his brother’s traitorous face again. If he did, the first thing he was going to do was sink fang and claw into Avery’s hide and listen to him howl out in pain.

His stomach growled, he hadn’t had anything to eat since the night before. No doubt Jacqueline, despite what he’d said to her earlier, would have dinner ready for him if he showed up. Maybe he would. Licking his lips, he huffed out a breath. “I’ll walk you home. It’s dangerous out here at night.”

 

[Defiant.Anjeru]

Cold? Was it cold? She hadn’t really noticed on the walk up here from her apartment which…how far away was her home? Damnit, she hadn’t really been paying attention to that either. Her thoughts had been so jumbled, her steps had been somewhat automated; one reason she’d been so sure of the choice she had felt in wanting to jump into the ice cold rivers below. Now that he mentioned it though, she shivered slightly, nodding. It was rather chilly. She’d been a fool to leave home without a coat. His hand was warm though, as they were walking, and it was a brief reprieve from the cold air before he finally let it loose not too far into their trek onto the pavement.

“Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t sure?” she asked faintly, a touch embarrassed. Her arms crossed beneath her breasts as they moved through the path in the forest, the darkness making her somewhat wary. The forest, the darkness, the isolation; it made her think of Avery. Her brow furrowed. Don’t go there.

“Hm?” She lifted her head, her eyes rising from the ground beneath them to his back. “I made it here on my own just fine…but seeing as I am not quite certain where it is that I am, I wouldn’t object to you walking with me back to the edge of town.” She sighed softly and shrugged her shoulders, arms tightening in their fold as a cold wind drafted by. “I can find my way from there…and no, don’t worry – I won’t go and find some other place to jump from.” She couldn’t blame him if that is what he thought she’d do; he had just talked her off a cliffside, hadn’t he?

“Really…you don’t have any responsibility to me,” she reassured. “You have done more than enough for a stranger, I’d think.” Lips parted as she failed to stifle a yawn, instead lifting a hand to hide it behind the pale appendage. Well, damnit if her cuticles weren’t turning blue around the edges as well.

 

[Raivh]

Silence, though she spoke, resounded in his mind, pulsing in waves and leading him to believe that she was unmarked. Avery had felt nothing for this woman, had used her as a tool as he had every woman before her. He’d left her without the bond, unclaimed. It was difficult for a male to mate and not mark, unnatural, and ultimately not in accordance with custom. There were reasons why Nathaniel kept a distance from Jacqueline. In bedding her, their fates would be twined together, regardless of whether or not love was present in the relationship. To be a mated pair, love was not requisite, only fidelity, trust.

Emotionless green eyes scanned over her, noting the position she held herself in; arms coiled about her body in an attempt to retain heat. Humans were inferior in the nature that they were incapable of maintaining temperature no matter the elements. A nod was all he gave as means of response, clarifying that he understood she was informing him of her ability to get home, and that she wouldn’t seek out another ravine or some other means of premature, forced death. She was incorrect in one aspect, though; through a twisted means of blood, Nathaniel did hold responsibility for her in regards to her well-being. That child forming in her womb had horrible potential, potential which could result in its mother’s most excruciating pregnancy, labor, and possible death.

“To the edge of town, then; I’ll walk you there.” His gaze drifted to the hand she used to vainly conceal a yawn, making obvious her exhaustion. He shifted toward her, the movement bringing him just close enough that his shoulder grazed hers, hoping to provide her with some of the heat his body constantly emanated. There was no evidence of discomfort in proximity etched on his features, no sign that he cared for boundaries of space to be present.

Again his glance fell to her as they walked, and his eyebrows pulled to a pensive crease between his eyes. “What is the purpose of this?” Paying no heed to his actions, he lifted a hand and caught her earlobe nearest him with the side of his index finger. Not accustomed to piercings, he wasn’t sure if the gauged hole was typical of humans, or some symbol of status, as the scars that littered his chest, back, and arms were. It didn’t occur to him that she might find him strange for inquiring, either. While his brother had been familiar with the habits of humans, living and mingling with them in daily life, Nathaniel wasn’t. No sooner had he touched her than he was returning his hand to its place of concealment within the pocket of his jeans.

Taking a deep breath, he could smell the burning of pine and oak, alerting him that they were nearing the human establishment. Again his stomach growled, and he thought of what Jacqueline had said about preparing him dinner.

 

[Defiant.Anjeru]

His moving closer wasn't immediately noticed by her, but she could feel the subtle change in the air, as his body was significantly warmer than hers and gave off enough to subtly warm her enough so that she wouldn't shiver, and her teeth wouldn't chatter. It was embarrassing enough that she had been caught about to plummet to her death, it was even more embarrassing that he knew - and she knew that he knew - she was unprepared for the cold air of the early morning. At least, what she assumed was early morning. She was disrupted from her thoughts when he grasped her earlobe. She nearly jumped, it surprised her so. It took a moment for her to realize he was speaking of the gauge. "Um, I suppose the purpose is looks? I have had it for awhile...they're rather common now," she said after a moment. It was strange to her that he seemed perplexed by the semi large 0g gauges. It wasn't every day that she came across someone who questioned them.

She could begin to see the lights of the town's street lights as they continued toward where she lived. Slightly, she could be thankful that they were getting close to where they would go their different directions. Even if he was a stranger, when they parted, she would be alone again...with an inhuman baby growing within her womb. Her promise to him she could keep, she knew, but being alone and scared made her think about things she would rather not. Like tonight...she had been so preoccupied with her thoughts, she had not realized she was going to kill herself until she had been standing on that ledge. Come to think of it...how long ago had that been? She had stood there for what seemed like hours?

Her cell, she realized, was still in her pocket; she pulled it out and flipped it open to catch the time, eyes widening slightly when the digital numbers told her is was nearly midnight. Hadn't she walked up here at seven? Had five hours passed already? "Lot later than I realized..." she sighed, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully.