Darren

His fingers tickled the sensitive skin on my neck as he traced the healing mark that had left behind from our altercation. It made me tremble as I shifted in the seat next to him, turning my head to look in his direction, "Cole, would you please stop touching me?" I felt my cheeks rush with heat at how breathless my voice sounded. I had been asking him nicely for the past hour and a half, because his hands seemed to keep wandering in my direction.

He met my stare with warm brown eyes,"I can't help but want to touch you, Darren. Your skin is so soft and pale. You were made to be touched." I could almost hear the by me, at the end of his comment. Gone was the oppressive asshole I had met at Alexei's community and in his place was this charming Lycan. Part of me wanted to soak it in because I knew it wasn't going to last, it was too good to be true. The asshole was probably just trying to get in my pants.

I rolled my eyes at his words, smacking his hand away when his knuckles brushed against my neck. I didn't like the way my skin burned after he touched it or the way I wanted to lean into him, "Well shakespeare, that might be the case but if you touch me one more time you're going to have to learn how to regrow a hand."

Cole let out heavy sigh, turning away from me as he placed his hands in his lap, locking his fingers together, "I will try but it is hard to resist you, witch. You do not understand how alluring you are to me and my Lycan. You smell like hot metal. Yet, you are so delicate like a moon flower."

Jocelyn let out a loud snort before losing herself into a fit of laughter in the seat behind us. I found myself grounding my teeth together in annoyance as I sent a heated glare over my shoulder. She gave me a toothy grin, "Be careful wouldn't want to put a wrinkle on your delicate face, moonflower."

I let out a harsh laugh before I twisted more and started to lunge over my seat at her, "I'm going to kill you!" She was a demon spawn and I was going to kill her.

Cole grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back down onto the seat, securing me to his side, "Calm down, Darren. It is true. You're face is beautiful it would be a shame to wrinkle it." He whispered into my ear, causing my face to heat up. I didn't quite appreciate the fact that he was treating me like a girl. I wasn't a girl. I was a man and I wanted to be treated like one.

I was just as powerful and deadly as him. I shouldered him away from me, breaking the contact between us. I scooted to the farthest edge of the seat, putting as much space between us as possible, "I am not beautiful or delicate. I am a man, damn it...a fucking man!"

"That's debatable..." Jocelyn muttered under her breath.

I sent her a dirty glare, "Keep talking, Jo and see what happens. You think Poppy is mean...would Poppy sneak into your room at night while you're asleep and shave off your eyebrows?" I enjoyed the way her eyes widened a bit and her lips pressed tighter together. She sunk lower in her seat as she crossed her arms over her chest. I gave her a victorious grin to which she replied to by sticking out her tongue.

I turned back to the real issue in my life, "Now listen carefully..." Cole shifted in the seat, brows furrowing as I addressed him, "I will punch you so hard in the balls that your ancestors will feel it if you ever refer to me as anything other than, a stud, handsome, or hot stuff. Got it, wolf boy?"

His lips twitched as he regarded me in silence before turning his face away, "Whatever you say, hot stuff."

"That's more like it." I found myself smiling as he peeked over at me from the corner of his eye, smirking. It was strange to feel the way I did about the man sitting beside me. I knew next to nothing about him, but yet I felt like we had known each other for a long time. When I wasn't trying to push him away or block the feeling of our bond, it was easy to be near him.

"I need to pee..." Rafe spoke up. I turned to look at him feeling bad that I had almost forgotten he was with us. My mother, father and Alby were traveling in the car ahead of us. Apparently I was still considered one of the kids because of what had happened while I was staying away. Thankfully, Poppy had gone and run off so I was hoping I would get out of the dog house soon enough.

"Are you sure you can't hold it for a little while longer, Rafe?" I questioned him, "We aren't that far from Claudia and Calsifer's place now."

Rafe sucked his lip into his mouth and shook his head, pressing his hands to his crotch as he wiggled in the seat next to Jocelyn, "I need to pee now, Bubba." It was something that he had called me since he had learned to speak, my name too complicated for him to say.

I heaved a sigh before I gave him a small smile, "Alright. I'll get you to a bathroom." I turned back around in my seat, "Anna..." I caught the cold gaze of the female lycan in the drivers seat, "Rafe needs to go to the bathroom."

"He can't hold it? We're almost there." She seemed highly irritated. I could only imagine it was because she had been stuck on babysitting duty. I shook my head and she heaved a sigh, grabbing the walkie talkie my mother had given her before we had started our trip, "We need to find a gas station. The youngest pup needs to use the bathroom." She tossed it back into the empty passenger seat as she pulled off the highway. I tried not to laugh at the fact that she had referred to Rafe as a pup.

"10-4" My idiot brother replied. I knew he was so hot for Anna it was ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as how much she did not care to be around him. She was clearly a woman that required a certain amount of upkeep and attention. I didn't have a lot of experience with women but I knew enough to know my brother didn't stand a chance.

A weird feeling began to build in my stomach the further we got from the highway. I searched the darkness outside of the car, there was something lurking outside in the shadows. It was an out of place sensation but I couldn't seem to get rid of it. The road was long and vacant with sparse lighting from street lamps. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, getting a look from Cole as if he sensed my unease. There was no explanation for it but something inside of me was screaming, telling me to run away. 

"Is something bothering you?" Cole asked in a whisper. I opened my mouth to reply but my sister spoke first.

"We should turn back." Jocelyn spoke up, voice cracking slightly. I met Anna's narrowed gaze in the mirror before I turned around to look at my sister. She was hugging her arms around her waist as if trying to hold herself together, glancing outside the car as she nibbled on her lip nervously. I wondered if she was feeling the same feeling I was.

"Jo, what's up?"

"We have to turn back!" She yelled at me, looking frantic, "Turn back right now! Something bad...something bad is going to happen, Darren."

I reached back over the seat, grabbing her hand in an attempt to get her to calm down but the moment I touched her she froze up. I watched as her eyes rolled back into her head and her body seized up. Her magic sparked with vicious intent, lashing out at me as if I were the one causing her pain. I pulled back quickly in surprise as a violent scream pulled from her chest. It was a roar of agony pulled deep from inside of her. I reached up as did rafe to cover our ears, staring at her in terror.

Anna and Cole both flinched at the sound. The van swerved to the side of the road before Anna parked it twisting around quickly to get a look at what was happening. The scream cut off and her body slumped. I stared at her as she blinked through watery eyes, rocking slightly as she muttered under her breath between tiny sobbing breathes. I unbuckled myself in a hurry, reaching over into the back seat to get her to calm down. 

The little exorcist show needed an explanation, "Jo, what's going on?"

"We are all going to die. Everyone is going to die, Darren." She spoke as she stopped moving, watery eyes meeting mine as she turned her face toward me, "I saw it...she showed me...made me watch." I had no idea what she was talking about but it had ice shooting through my veins. Jocelyn was always very talented, very empathetic. 

The headlights of our parents car were coming down the road toward us and I gave a little sigh. We would sort out this mess. Their parents would know what to do. Jocelyn squeezed my hand hard as a horrible high pitch whistle rang out and a giant fireball exploded out of the tree line. I watched with wide eyes as it rocketed into our parents car, catching it in the side and sending flying, tumbling over and over. Time seemed to slow as I watched from the safety of our van. Jocelyn and Rafe screamed at the sound, curling inward towards each other.

Cole and Anna took only seconds to respond, unbuckling and throwing themselves from the van. They ran towards my family intent to help them but another fireball flew from the darkness, exploding the car, sending hot metal in every direction. I pulled back in shock as Jocelyn let out a cry of agony, curling in on herself more as she started to mutter to herself. The shockwave of the explosion had the van rocking and the Lycan twisting away from the flames.

This was a nightmare. A waking nightmare. I slid my van side door open, stepping out into the night as my mind shattered in every direction. I started moving towards the burning wreckage, numbly putting on foot in front of the other. Cole turned back to me with dark eyes, walking at first in my direction before he started running, "Darren stop!" He growled. Anna was not far behind him but not fast enough to avoid being knocked to the ground as the car exploded for another time. I jumped back this time, my heart lurching before it took off.

Cole grabbed me, "Darren we need to get out you and your sibling out of here." My ears were ringing and my world felt hazy as I stared at the dancing flames. I could hear faint echoes of my siblings crying but everything felt muffled and muddled. It was too much to process in only a short span of time.

Cole shook me, bringing me back into reality, "Your sister and brother need you to be strong, right now." I sucked in a breath that had wanted to be a scream. I sucked in my agony and pain, burying it deep inside of myself. Cole was right. I needed to protect my siblings right now, everything else would have to wait until I had them out of danger.

The wind picked up rapidly, and I felt the shift of energy in the air. The feeling of pure dread crept up my spine as Anna arrived back at the van, panting heavily. Her eyes were like pitch, teeth fully extended. I knew she was ready to rip people apart which made me feel okay about the next couple of things I said, "Take Rafe and Jocelyn and go." I peered back in through the open door to find my sister was holding our brother in her arms, eyes wide with fear as she met my gaze. I felt rage boil in my veins that someone would think to harm my family, to...kill them. I would never allow anything to happen to them again, not while my heart was still beating in my chest.

I noticed that Rafe had peed himself, the front of his pants soaking wet. Anna hesitated for a moment, "Be a good boy, and come to Anna." She spoke to him in such a tone calm and friendly tone that it surprised me. Rafe wasted no time, reaching for her. My heart clenched at the sight of his tear stained face and trembling limbs. Anna seemed to ignore the the fact he had peed himself and held him close to her body like a mother protecting her young.

She reached a hand for Jocelyn, "You will follow me and you will do exactly as I tell you, understand?" She growled down at my sister, who only nodded her head up and down. "Smart girl. Now let's go."

"We will buy you time. Just get them somewhere safe. If anything happens to them my sister and I will be very upset and you really don't want us as an enemy." I said to her with in a serious tone, not caring if anyone heard. It was a little late to care at this point. She gave me a determined nod before turning away and running them into the darkness of the trees nearby. I felt anxious and heartbroken as I forced myself to trust that I would see my siblings again. 

Cole gave my arm a gentle squeeze, "She will protect them with her life. Don't worry, they will be safe. She will bring them to Alexei, and your sister." I felt a calmness under his touch and at his words. It felt good to not be alone as my world felt like it was being ripped apart. 

I moved away from him, calling on my magic which hissed and screeched as it eat up the dark feeling in my heart. I walked into the opened, "Come out you bastard! You like to play with fire? Well so do I! So let's fucking play!" I stretched out my hand towards the flames and they danced towards me, growing larger as they fed on the power inside of me. 

I let out a harsh war cry, a cry of vengeance as I separated a large ball of fire and launched it towards the tree line. It exploded on contact, igniting the trees in a raging blaze. My ears were ringing and my head pounding as I began to build another. I knew I was using to much power but I couldn't stop. I needed to kill. 

Cole grabbed me from behind, ignoring how my magic lashed out, burning and cutting into his flesh, "Stop, Darren. You're hurting yourself." 

"No!" I used more of my power launching another fire ball towards the tree, this one larger than the last. I felt my nose begin to bleed, my head head throbbing.

"You have to stop! You're killing yourself." He growled in my ear. What did I care if I die but got to kill the bastard who had stolen my family from me? I didn't.  "Please, Darren. If you die...then I die." His words sucked all the life from my hatred, leaving behind the empty hole that my family had once filled. 

I relaxed in his hold, body to tired now to hold myself upright. Cole slowly turned me around, looking into my eyes, "Do not worry I will make sure that whoever did this suffers greatly." He pulled me into his chest and I let him, wrapping my trembling arms around his waist. I let out sob, burying my head deeper into his chest. 

"Well isn't this sweet?" A familiar voice had me stiffening. The soft click of shoes over the uneven pavement echoed loudly in my ears, even over the sound of distant sirens. I peeled myself away from Cole, who was growling loudly. I turned on shaky legs to see a shadowy figured moving towards, "That was quite impressive what you did. For one still so young, that was quite a lot of power." Cole pulled me behind him, letting out a vicious snarl. 

"Sit, fido!" I suck in a breath as Cole was launched away from me by an invisible force. His body secured to the ground my invisible threats, "Good boy." 

I found myself unable to stand, my energy completely drained. My knees hit the pavement hard, my palms scraping against the ground in an effort keep me from falling completely. Cole was on the ground near me, unable to move. All he could do was growl and snarl like the vicious beast that he was, trying to free himself to save me. I could only think about my mother, my father...Alby...they were gone. Gone. I felt like I couldn't breathe as I knelt there in the parking lot, flames from the burning car warming my skin.

I lifted my face and stared up at the familiar face, the shock of who I was staring up at left my mind reeling further. I squinted against the smoke, "You...why?" The only response I got was a whisper of a smile before a sharp pain exploded in my head and I knew nothing but darkness.

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Song: Rider on The Storm - Megan Washington 

A/N: I know, who the feck is the dark druid?! Who?