Out of Sorts

All thoughts immediately dissolved and the blood drained from both mine and Dillon's face when we got to his room.

"Dad? Daddy?" Dillon was shaking.

Gage wrapped an arm around his shoulder holding him while he cried.

Our father, well technically not mine, but that really didn't matter, not now after seeing all the tubes and machines hooked up to him. He was on deaths door step that much was obvious.

"Uncle Gage, what...why?"

Leading us from the ICU he took us back to Draven's room.

"It was pack politics, another pack wanted the power that we held, they went after your father through your brothers. They did that with a few other leaders as well. The other leaders paid and did as they were told, your father didn't. They never expected to be found, let alone attacked by someone they currently had power over. Your brother was being tortured with silver. When we arrived they had just finished electrocuting him with a fucking car battery," he growled low in his throat.

Dillon nodded, trying to understand. "But why did they go after Daniel's mom?"

Gage's head snapped up, "What?"

I looked away blinking rapidly.

Dillon told his uncle what they had seen.

"Oh my God. Sheila's dead. I-I just..." There was something in my uncle's face, if I hadn't been lost in my own grief, I might have been able to figure it out. "I'll have to call the council," he muttered to himself, "that's against all our rules."

When I started crying Uncle Gage stopped suddenly wrapping me in his arms, "I'm so sorry baby, I'm so damn sorry."

We practically lived in Draven's hospital room for the next 48 hours, I still hadn't processed not having a mother and living with people that were capable of shifting into something else. If I thought about it, I would probably curl up into the fetal position again.

The first thing I noticed the next day was that Draven's burns looked to be old, not fresh like they had been yesterday. All I could think was that he had a great immune system. While the burns were going away it was the electrocution that was taking its toll. They had put him under to allow his mind and body to heal quicker. At least that's what Uncle Gage said.

Several days later, I was staring at some of the wounds on Draven, brushing his hair away from his forehead when I heard him rasp, "Hey big brother".

My face remained impassive to spite the tight smile. "Hi."

He blinked at me in surprise. "You ok?"

I hugged him, crying into his shoulder. He let me cry and hang on as if this was normal. I never thought of myself as normal anyway and sure as shit this particular side of the family was anything but.

Dillon had walked into the room, seeing that his brother was awake, threw himself into Draven's arms as well. "I was really scared Drave."

"Yeah, me too," he answered quietly.

Dillon looked at me and Draven, solving some inner dilemma. "I'm not letting either of you out of my sight for at least a year, maybe more."

"I'll second that," said my uncle coming through the door.

Uncle Gage was powerful, I could feel it, had always trusted and felt safe within its confines especially when I was little. I wondered if that was what drew mom to my dad even as that thought crossed my mind something more important fell into place. Powerful men could be powerful scary when crossed, like dad when he got the phone call and...no I couldn't think about that, but did she know what he was?

Draven smiled up at Gage. "Where's dad?"

Everyone froze for a moment Gage took a deep breath even as he took Draven's hand in his. "He's in the ICU son he was hurt worse than any of us could have suspected."

"Wh-what? Why? I'm almost healed so anything he suffered should be the same shouldn't it?" Draven's heart rate increased as panic filled him.

Uncle Gage squeezed his hand his eyes never leaving Draven's even when he spoke to us. "Dillon, why don't you and Daniel grab yourselves a soda and snack down the hall?"

Nodding he left the room with me following like a puppy behind him.

I could hear my uncle begin the explanation, "You were being held by a few wolves, which we took down easily but the humans proved to be the problem. There were a couple of clever bastards that used a liquid silver on their knives it entered Caine's blood stream."

I heard what sounded like a whimper before hurrying to follow Dillon.

We went back to dad's room. He still looked pale. I sat there still trying to figure out the puzzle that was my mother's attack.

Biting my lip I looked at Dillon hesitantly, "D-dillon?" My voice was scratchy from disuse, I was talking again if only for a little while.

A look of surprise filled his face. "Hey big brother. You ok?"

I nodded, "C-can I ask you something odd?"

"As if any part of this appears normal to you?"

I nodded in agreement. Nothing that had happened seemed real. A part of me hoped this was all a nightmare that I'd yet to wake from. It was so very sci-fi and not in a good way.

"Why would human's work with ...," I didn't want to say what they were or insult Dillon so I let the sentence hang in the air. Dillon would understand.

He looked at me in surprise although his eyes were still filled with sadness. "The usual reasons; money, power, black mail, take your pick." His head tilted in a curious fashion. "Why?" Then an anxious look filled his face as if he answered his own question, "You're not scared of us are you?" Dillon's eyes filled with panic.

I was surprised by his outburst, but rushed to correct his thinking. He was upset enough. "No, I-I don't think so. We're family right?"

Releasing a sigh, he shrugged. "Yeah, um I'd forgotten."

"You're the only family I have now," I added quietly.

He looked apologetic, but before he could say anything else I began to ask more questions.

"Do-do you think my mom knew what dad was?" the question came out in a broken whisper but thankfully he didn't comment.

Dillon shrugged.

"Um, are there places where people like Uncle Gage and Dad go to?"

Pushing the overgrown bangs from his eyes, he frowns at me not understanding the question. "Business men?"

Shaking my head I sigh. "No, a club or bar that caters to furry people, where humans might not go."

"Did you just call us furry people," he smirked.

Rubbing the back of my neck I grin sheepishly. "Well, dad went full on furry when he got that call, but I didn't see anything else."

"Yeah, you hit the ground pretty fast after that." Dillon bit his lip to keep from laughing. Then he actually thought about the question and realized that it was valid. "Hmm yeah there are places that you would find more of us than others, although it's not always easy to tell the difference. We can though."

"If mom met your dad at one of those places, she probably would go for men just like him don't you think? Maybe even meet at those same bars/clubs whatever."

Dillon's face went white, "What are you trying to say Daniel, just spit it out."

"D-do you think she's the reason that I got kidnapped. Maybe for the money or something," I shrugged, trying not to get upset at the thought that my mom would have me tortured for money, but I knew her pretty well and that really didn't seem too farfetched.

Dillon put his arm around me. "Naw, you heard Uncle Gage, it was pack politics."

Tears began to roll down my face, "Then wh-why kill her, if she was just an ordinary person who had no part in it? Sh-she was clawed to pieces, not shot or stabbed or anything that a burglar would do."

Dillon knew what I'd said held a ring of truth in it but, didn't want to admit it, if only to protect my feelings.

They released Draven two days later. We stayed together at dad's house along with Uncle Gage, he wasn't taking any chances.

Dad was undergoing sessions where they bled him until he was nearly drained of all his blood then given blood transfusions in hopes that the silver would be flushed from his system. According to my uncle it was working.

My brother's and I returned to our schools, but Draven picked me up every day afterward, so that we could go visit dad. It took nearly two weeks but Dad did start to look better his skin and wounds began healing much quicker as well. By the end of week three they had revived him from his medical induced coma.

Both Draven and Dillon hugged him tight their faces anxious but happy. He took a good long look at Draven, pleased with the fact that his son was healthy and relatively happy looking despite his ordeal.

He looked up noticing me over in the corner. Waving me closer I came to stand next to his bed.

"I'm so grateful to have you in my life," he said in a hoarse voice.

Surprised by his statement I just nodded.

"Have you been taking care of each other and listening to your uncle," he asked unnecessarily?

Dillon answered for all three of us. "Yeah, I've been keeping an eye on them as well."

Caine chuckled.

To spite my past, sleep had thankfully been dreamless; my family a comfort at least they were, my dreams lately had taken a turn for the worse filled with dead bodies and demonic wolves out for my own death. They weren't human and they weren't my family would they turn on me like those that turned on my mother? That was the question that plagued me.

I was different, more different than before. I was cold, withdrawn and my uncle was getting more and more worried. I could see the pain etched in his face and yet I couldn't prevent it. My fear and nightmares were taking over.

Draven had been home four days when a particularly realistic nightmare woke me with a scream.

All three rushed into my room yet were afraid to touch me. Draven stood there for a moment before releasing a growl of frustration pulling me into his arms.

Shaking and crying I held tight to his shoulders, pressing my face in his neck.

"It wasn't real," he whispered kissing my temple, "You're safe."

"M-momma's d-d-dead," I sobbed.

Gage sat on the bed his hand rubbing soothing patterns on my back. "I know baby, I'm sorry."

"Th-they hurt her."

"Who?"

Face buried in my brother's shoulder I whispered, "W-wolves."

My uncle jerked as if struck. It hadn't occurred to him that I might be afraid of what they were. Realizing why I had withdrawn from them, he closed his eyes in grief and regret.

My brother bit his lip seeing the sadness in my uncle's eyes.

"You're safe Daniel, those wolves won't hurt you, I won't let them," Draven's words soothed me as effectively as his presence had in the past.

Feeling the tension ease from my tired limbs my uncle patted me. "Can I tell you a secret Daniel?"

Nodding I continued to lay against my brother.

"I-I used to be in love with your mother."

That wasn't what I had expected to hear and sat up quickly turning to look him in the eye.

"It's true," he said with a sad smile. "I was a virgin and well it was love at first sight. She uh," a blush filled my uncle's face, "she was my first."

Although the confession was awkward it made me feel even closer to my uncle. Of course those feelings were tempered when Dillon mumbled, "Ewww."

Draven choked on a laugh and then for some reason we were all laughing simultaneously.

"Brat," my uncle mumbled in Dillon's direction as we tried to catch our breath.

With a wistful sigh he continued, "We uh, slept together off and on while she was dating Caine."

His face filled with sadness, it was obvious he felt bad for hurting his brother in that way.

"He caught us together one day, and kicked her out of the house. We went through a rough patch, me and him. A few months later Sheila showed up pregnant, saying it was Caine's. He didn't believe her and threatened to have her thrown in jail for statutory rape if she tried to force him or me to be the father because I was under age."

Tears formed in my eyes. I hadn't even been born yet and he didn't want me. God, that's pathetic.

"I went to her apartment a week or so later and said I would help, secretly of course. Sheila said she thought the baby really was mine and being young and in love I wanted that to be true as well."

Hugging me against him he petted my hair.

"When you were born I thought you were the most precious thing in the world. I wanted to hold you and never let you go. I still do Daniel. I've loved you your whole life. The first time you called me daddy I was beside myself with joy. I also knew that Caine was listed on your birth certificate and I was still trying to get him to acknowledge you as your father so I had to stay your uncle. But it meant the world to me that you wanted me to be your dad."

I remembered a time in first grade when I told everyone that my daddy was picking me up and taking me away for the weekend. Just me and him, those were the best weekends ever.

Crying into his shoulder he held me until the wave of sadness passed. When all my emotions had tired themselves out and I began to drift off, he lifted me from his lap and back onto my bed. Pushing the bangs from my forehead he sighed. "Good night son."

Draven smiled down at me, "Want me to stay?"

I nodded curling up in the fetal position. Draven scooted against the wall on his side facing me. "Night big brother."

Dad came home that Friday, he looked a bit tired but otherwise good. Uncle Gage had obviously mentioned my behavior because there was a tenseness to him whenever I was around. It sounds stupid considering I was the one with the problem, but it just felt like he was rejecting me all over again.

Do you ever have moments when your mind won't be still? For some reason you can't stop thinking and thinking about something, how to say it what the reaction will be once you say it, and every other scenario to go with it? Yeah that's how it's been for me lately the inner dialogue would be funny if it weren't so scary for me to admit especially to my current family.

When life had quieted I of course returned to my old anxiety's the first and foremost being, should I say something to dad? Closing my eyes tightly I realize how awkward that might be. He'd never considered me his son and knowing that they were, well not really human made them even more amazing. I would just appear weaker than I already was, if they accepted me at all after such a cringe-worthy confession.

It wasn't as if I could ever have approached my mom with this problem. Maybe I should just talk to Draven. He wouldn't judge me, and I could swear him to secrecy if it turned out that coming out to the family was a bad idea.

Did their kind even have homosexuals?

"What-cha doing big brother?"

Draven had appeared in my doorway scaring the piss out of me, he couldn't read my mind, right?

"N-n-nothing," I answered sounding way too high pitched.

"Sorry, did I scare you." He looked contrite as he smiled at me.

Getting up from my computer desk I release a sigh, "It's nothing, I was just lost in thought."

"What were you thinking about? I swear I could hear your heartbeat from here."

"Um can you really hear my heartbeat," I ask feeling uneasy and anxious. It was pouring off of me now in waves.

"Uh, yeah," he said while nervously rubbing the back of his neck. Taking a step back he tried to make himself look less intimidating. "Does that scare you?"

Appalled that I had made him feel bad I closed the distance taking his hand in mine. "No," I answered honestly. Although my father might still make me jumpy the one person I've always trusted is Draven. "I've never been afraid of you, not even when you first saw me in the hospital all freaked out and drugged up. Remember, I wouldn't let anyone else touch me, but you."

He nodded a sad smile on his face. Brushing the hair from my forehead he released a shaky breath. "Yeah I remember. You were so fragile I thought you were at least five years younger than me and Dillon."

Blushing I shrugged. "I still look too small to be your big brother." Holding up my arm in a classic muscle flex, I gave its feebleness a withering glare.

Draven laughed, "It's ok." With a fond smile he added, "You were strong enough to survive those bastards and save my sorry hide too. You're everything I could ever want in a big brother." His face is earnest and the hazel eyes staring back at me tell me he really does care.

A few tears slip down my cheek. No one in my entire life had ever told me I was strong or important. My mother had perfected name calling, and cursing, there was no room for love or affection. Now here I was, albeit through some pretty screwed up circumstances, with this family of 'wolves' that treated me better than my biological mother ever had. How could I ever repay them? Did they know how much I'd come to care for them in these last few months. 'Doubtful.'

Throwing my arms around him in a big hug I mumbled, "I love you Draven."

Surprised at my outburst he bit back a laugh then muttered, 'love you too'.

'School sucked,' actually I don't know any kid that wouldn't back that statement up 100%. We all had our own little individual hells within those walls; geeks, jocks, preps, and losers. Each fighting for that tenuous hold we had on our lives in an attempt to keep our personal demons at bay. I was your classic fifty pound weakling. Tall, painfully shy and thin wasn't exactly a ticket to the in-crowd. Sure I'd known my share of bullies, but they were more subtle than those on the after-school specials, or the stomp out bullying commercials. The one's at my school occasionally bumped into you and whispered things under their breath so there wouldn't be any witnesses. No big, been there, done that except that one of them tried the bump and insult maneuver within sight and hearing of my new over-protective younger brother.

When Draven jumped out of his truck I knew there was going to be trouble. He even bumped the other guy.

"What the hell did you do that for?" The bully actually had the nerve to look upset at being bullied.

"That's for messing with Daniel. Try it again and I'll kick your ass."

Jake wasn't on the football team, but he was built like a line-backer, solid and mostly muscle. Unfortunately his i.Q. was even less than that of a typical jock. He lived down the street from me and it was pretty obvious his home life was as shitty as mine had been, probably worse, since he had a step-father from hell. Poor Jake, he wasn't smart enough to be intimidated by Draven.

"Who the fuck are you, his boyfriend?"

Draven narrowed his eyes and growled low in his throat.

"Hell, if I'd known Danny boy took it up the ass, I'd have given him a birthday gift this year." He grabbed his crotch in a lewd gesture.

My brother's tenuous hold on his temper was slipping. Knowing what I had endured at the hands of others he did not take the joke lightly.

Stepping in between I did the only thing I could think of. "Jake this is my younger brother Draven, he's from my dad's side of the family different mom, but we're speculating she was probably a lot like mine." I rolled my eyes. "Drave, this is my school bully Jake, his mom isn't a whore, but this last husband of hers is quite the bastard."

Both looked at me as if I was crazy then started laughing.

"Now that you've both been formally introduced I'm ready to go home.

Draven shrugged as I headed for his truck, following me.

"So," Dillon said leaning forward from the backseat, "what's the deal with that asshole?"

Releasing a sigh, I shrugged, "My neighbor, different house, same shit."

His expression softened a bit, "I'm sorry Daniel."

My eyes met his, "Don't be, I don't have to live there anymore, he does."

With a sigh Draven turned the ignition and put the truck in gear.

It was true my life had changed for the better. I lived in a massive two story house in an upper-class neighborhood. My father and uncle had money some inherited but a lot of it earned. Apparently being part wolf made them savvy business men. And I was currently reaping the benefits. I pushed aside the fact that the same type of people savaged and murdered my mother. Of course I had my suspicions about her participation with those same animals so I couldn't exactly feel sorry for her. I didn't want to either. Because it would hurt too much if she were an innocent victim.