~Achilles~
"Why are you calling me?" Anders said when he finally picked up the phone. I'd been calling over and over again, and the phone would either go to straight to voicemail or the call would drop. The whole time I paced in a small room Kiara told me I could use. Harrison had already said he'd be willing to give me blood and the workers were already taking blood from him to store for me later.
"I need your help." I said quietly, squeezing my phone tightly. He had to say yes. I was his brother and I needed him, he just had to say yes.
"I don't know if I feel like doing you any favours right now, Lee." He paused and I realized he might actually be building something. The last time we'd really talked he talked about he'd be building a crib for his kid by hand. With Justine's due date rapidly approaching, that could be it.
"You're building the crib?" I said softly, relaxing for a beat because it just seemed so normal even when everything else didn't.
"Yeah." Anders let out in a breathless huff. "And it's a girl. We had the dumb gender reveal party that Justine's always wanted." I just knew Anders was rolling his eyes.
I swallowed down the hurt at not being invited. "That sounds like it must've been nice." I said in a wooden voice.
"Yeah," Anders murmured. "A lot of squeals and frilly shit. But, I don't know, having a girl will be fine, I guess. I hope she likes sports or I won't know what to talk about." His laugh was dry and familiar and it made me wonder for the umpteenth time why things had gone so wrong.
I pushed one of my hands across my chest, trying to impossibly smooth out the wrinkles. "IâI need your blood, Anders. I need to do an operation, and Harry already said yes, but I need two donors and it's got to be a close familial match since we're shifters and I know it's a lot to ask. We might not even be a match, but they tested Mom, and she wasn't. But, Harry was. I just need you to be willing to be tested and if that's the case then it would mean everything I know you avoid my calls, and my messages and me butâ"
"What the fuck, Achilles." Anders let out a long sigh. "You're my brother. If you're sick, of course I'll donate. Text me the address and I'll be right on my way." I heard Anders telling Justine that he had an emergency before he clicked off.
Fuck, that was way too easy. I sat down on a seat in the room and clutched my head, trying to focus on breathing. Breathe, Achilles, breathe.
I snapped my head up when I realized Harrison burst into the room. He was paler than he already was and his sleeves were rolled up enough for me to see a bruise. "Shit man, I have , like, so much blood in my body." He fell in the seat next to me, and sighed, making a low noise of discomfort in his throat. "You are so lucky you're my favourite brother right now. Blood is so fucking red."
"Are you high right now?"
Harrison actually giggled. "They gave me something to keep me calm. After all this, can we do something fun?" Harrison seemed tired suddenly, yawning. "Let's do that dinner thing again, with Xander's fam. His dad seems a little intense but who wouldn't be? By the way, is it just me or is Xander's mom kind of hot? Is it weird if I say that? Her voice is kind of whispery and sexy as fuck." Harrison closed his eyes, looking like he was going to fall asleep on the spot. "Is it weird if I think your boyfriend's mom is hot?"
I had my first real laugh of the day, and soon I was clutching my sides as tears rolled down my cheeks. I just couldn't stop laughing until I broke into a coughing fit. I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Oh my fucking God, Harry. Please don't tell her that."
Harrison was looking at me all wide eyed. "I think they gave me a sedative, man. I might say some weird shit. Like, Xander's dad is white? I was fucking floored, man. I thought maybe his dad was lightskin or something. And like, how old is he? When you guys get old people are gonna think you're a sugar daddy? And how old are Xander's parents? His mom looks like thirty-five max. But, black don't crack right?" Harrison paused, squinting his eyes for a beat. "AndâI'm seeing someone. When Xander's up for it, we should have a double date."
Harrison raised his fist and I met his fist bump. "Sure." I said, wondering what kind of girl Harrison was dating. He always came home with surprises when he was younger so I had no idea what to expect.
"Anders is on his way." I said quietly. "I don't think he knows I need blood for Xander."
"Shit." Harrison patted my thigh. "Good luck, bro."
I swallowed, knowing I would need all the luck I could get.
#
"You lied to me!" Anders was absolutely fuming, nostrils flared as he breathed harshly and yelled at me in the hospital room where they were draining some of my blood for Xander.
I'd gone to check up on Xander to find he was asleep. I spent some time stroking his hair and talking to him before the head doctor, Kiara, told me that they could start taking blood from me before Anders arrived.
They escorted me to a new room but not even ten minutes later Anders had arrived and he was yelling before he even got through the door.
"I thought something happened to you!" Anders' face was red and scrunched up. "You lied to me! You're perfectly fine. They were testing my blood to see if I was a match for you and then they starting talking about him."
I was hooked up to the machine, and Kiara stood there awkwardly, checking my chart, but mostly looking between me and Anders.
"I still need your blood." I tried to explain. "Xander's sick andâ"
"Well, Lee, maybe I don't care if your special friend is sick. That's not my problem and I don't have to do anything." Anders talked between his clenched teeth, canines nearly puncturing his lower lip.
"You said you would give me blood on the phone. Just because I need blood for Xander, why does that change things?"
Anders took a threatening step forward, pointing a finger in my face. "Of course this changes things. The only one I was interested in helping was you, not him. I can't believe you would mislead and betray me like that. It's fucked up."
My annoyance bubbled over to anger, and I found myself yelling back. "No. You know what's fucked up? Not inviting me to your gender reveal party, or, trash talking Xander in his own home, or, when you didn't want to hear that I was dating a guy during our family lunch, or when I was seventeen and I tried to come out to you." I gestured with my one arm that blood wasn't being pumped out of. "All those things are fucked up. The only thing I'm asking of you is to give me some blood. That's it. If you can't even do that for me, Anders...If you can't even do that simple thing, then you're a lot more heartless than I thought you were."
Anders stood there with his mouth flapping but no sound was coming out. His face was red and I could envision steam erupting from his ears. After several seconds he bit out, "You're just jealous."
I barked out a laugh. "Of what?"
Anders looked taken aback by my quick reply and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I don't have to do anything for you."
I gave Anders a cold smile. "If my boyfriend dies because you decided to be petty and not give me blood I will make every single day of the rest of your life a completely unliveable hell. I can promise you that." I paused, watching the way I was getting under his skin. "You can be on the right side Anders."
"If you force me to do thisâ" Anders' voice was quiet and emotional but he was clearly still angry. "I'm never going to talk to you again. I'm blocking you on everything and you can lose my number. If I do this, I'll never do anything for you again, Lee. You'll be choosing him over me."
It felt like a rock was lodged in my throat, but I didn't want to cry in front of him. "Choosing someone who cares about me unconditionally over someone who will never stop judging me?" My voice shook, "Easy."
Anders looked at me for long seconds before whispering. "Fine."
Then, Anders walked over to Kiara who was still pretending to focus on her chart. "Okay, take blood from me, or whatever."
Kiara explained the process but the entire time Anders just looked annoyed. A few hospital staff came in to set up some IV's and a bed for Anders and while they were prepping I had to say something.
"Thank you, Anders. Honestly."
Anders shook his head ignoring me, the frown on his face only deepening. "Whatever."
The nurse settled Anders on a bed and began wiping antiseptic on his arm before drawing blood. Anders watched the blood being drained into a bag while the nurse explained he would be hooked up for about half an hour, and then he could be checked out before he was free to go.
"Just yell if you need anything." The nurse said before leaving us alone in the room.
It was awkward sitting there beside Anders, but I just focused on Xander who was only a few rooms over and probably still asleep. Not much longer and he would be okay.
#
I must have closed my eyes because the next thing I knew I was opening them to Kiara prodding me. Her face looked oddly composed and that's when I knew something was wrong. She didn't say anything as she escorted me to Xander's room.
I made an undignified noise, disturbed at what I saw. At first glance Xander looked to be sleeping but then I looked again. The veins on his face were obvious even on his brown skin and they were bulging and black spread like vines across his face. His eyes were open but there was a horrifying vacant gaze looking back. His eyes were black from the pupil to the iris to the sclera. I almost couldn't recognize him.
Xander's dad was clutching at his sheets and crying and his mom was rubbing his back.
Kiara's quiet words somehow cut through all the noise. "He just went into regeneration, Achilles, I'm sorry. We gave him all the blood, but it still happened and I'm not sure what to tell you."
I couldn't stop staring at Xander's body, so still and so wrong on the bed. I moved past Kiara, falling to my knees in front of Xander's bed, unable to understand what was happening. How could this be happening?
I'd done everything. I'd given him my blood, cornered Anders into donating and pushing him out of my life forever and spent Xander's last few conscious hours running around trying to get blood instead of being with him.
The worst thing was his smell, sour and so incredibly wrong. The sickeningly sweet stench of decay was clogging my nostrils and I couldn't breathe. It was all too much for me and I knew I was going to shift, unable to stop it from coming. Because it was involuntary it was the most painful shift I'd ever experienced. My skin felt like it was being sloughed off as thick fur rippled across my arms, and my bones stretched, snapped and popped trying to turn into something else.
I fell down onto my forearms as I shifted, screaming in pain until I became a wolf.
But, once I had shifted all I could smell was the wrongness of Xander's scent surrounded by the thick stench of antiseptic that every hospital had.
I licked my nose, turning around in a circle with my tail tucked between my legs. My clothing was in a hump on the floor and I pushed it into a ball and moved it under the bed. My clothes were definitely ruined now.
I pawed over to Xander's bed, putting my front paws on the sheets and staring at his prone form. I got closer, leaning my head against his chest. His heartbeat was so slow I almost thought he was dead. I whined in distress, pawing at his chest.
The bed was larger than Xander needed so I turned around in another circle, climbing onto Xander's bed and nosing his still hand until it was on top of my head. I wouldn't leave him ever again.
Someone touched my fur and I turned, Xander's hand falling away limp onto the bed.
Amma's voice was soft. "It's okay, Achilles. I'm sure he'll wake up soon." She touched my side but I growled deep in my throat and she got the hint to stop touching me.
Everything continued happening around me but I refused to move away from Xander's side. I licked at his palm before looking up at his face. The bulging black veins were covering his face, neck and just imagining them across the entirety of his body made me sick. Nurses were checking his vitals, and someone stuffed my clothes in a bag.
I'm not sure how many people came in and out of the room, but I stayed by Xander the entire time. His body was not as warm as it should've been but I tried to share my body heat. I snuggled against his side, whimpering softly. Minutes turned into hours as I laid there against his side, hoping for him to wake up.
Xander's parents were sitting in their chairs on the phone with what sounded like Xander's lawyer, talking about a will and his assets. I flattened my ears against my skull not wanting to hear it. I pushed away my human emotions and all the overthinking, becoming one with my wolf.
My thoughts slowed to a halt as I closed my eyes and focused on the feel, scent and presence of my mate. If all I could do was be there for him, then I would do that.
#
"It's been three days and he hasn't left his side." Henry and Amma were sitting in their usual chairs beside Xander's bed, talking to their daughter Klara.
She'd finally arrived from Germany or wherever and I tried not to look at her too much. Even as a wolf I could tell her and Xander looked quite alike. She was a lighter brown but still had freckles, and those same green eyes. It hurt seeing his same features on someone that wasn't him.
Henry and Amma explained the situation to Klara and she seemed grief stricken, going over to the side of Xander where I wasn't laying as she touched his face. Her hands shook before she even touched him.
Then, she held her face in her hands and breathed unevenly for several long seconds. Finally, she said something. "Fuck, what did the doctors say?"
Henry took a long look at me before beginning to speak in German. And the three of them continued like that. I huffed, but my ears pricked when I heard my name.
Then, Klara came over to the side of Xander I was on, stroking my fur. Her voice was soft, "So, my brother really is dating a shifter. That seems like something Xan would do." Her hands pulled tightly on my fur. "Well, no wonder something like this happened." Klara leaned down, cupping my head with her hands, effectively keeping my snout sealed shut.
I started growling low in my throat, trying to open my jaw but she was using a surprising amount of force.
Her voice didn't sound anything like Xander's especially not the cruel note lingering there. "I have nothing against shifters. Only you. My brother is sweet and vulnerable and too trusting. Shouldn't you have known better than to let him take blood from you? Didn't you think that something could go wrong?" Klara shook her head hard, eyes looking more and more glassy as she spoke. "He may as well be dead, and you did this and all you can do is lay there, hiding in your shifted form and not doing anything."
She let go of my head with a sound of disgust. Klara rubbed her jaw, turning away from me as she composed herself. She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at me. "Unlike you moping around, I'm going to do something. I'll find a cureâ or something to wake him up." Klara started murmuring, looking at me but fixated somewhere far away. "Talk to the university to get him on extended leave, handle the payments for his condo, the payments for his other prosperities, his car insurance. Damn it, there's so much to do." She paused. "And none of it is in this room." Klara looked at Amma and Henry, taking a shaky breath. "I know Papa wants to stay but I could use your help, Mama. We need to update the message boards, and the New York State vampire union."
She put her arms across her chest, tapping an impatient foot, but she seemed to lose her resolve when she looked at Xander.
I jumped off the bed, loping over towards her.
Klara only narrowed her eyes at me. "You've decided to help me, then?"
I didn't dignify that with a response, sitting on my heels and waiting for her to make the first move. When she didn't I shifted. The process was as painful as it should have been considering I'd been a wolf for three days.
I felt awkward in my suddenly too long, naked limbs, and my teeth felt flat and dull. I cleared my throat, standing up straight and getting a new look at Klara that was all in colour. I stroked my jaw surprised at the new beard I suddenly had.
Klara was looking away politely, chewing her lip. "When Xander wakes up he's not going to like that I've seen more of his boyfriend than I'm entitled to. Put on some God damn clothes, will you?" Klara picked up a small bundle of clothes Harrison had left for me.
The animal part of me was not particularly concerned with my nudity, but I dressed quickly still feeling like I was in the wrong skin. God, everything felt so awkward.
Klara snapped her fingers and I blinked, still a little out of it. She grabbed my shoulder, pulling me away from the room.
I stopped, going back to Xander's bed. Someone had closed his eyes, and he almost looked like he was asleep if not for the black veins. I squeezed his hand before following Klara back out. I would keep it together for Xander until he woke up. I had to.
#
Overall thoughts?
We're almost done with this arc, don't worry. It's taking more words than I thought and I know you guys care more about the romance but that's coming back.