"Hey, can you take me upstate?" Luke asked his older brother. Dylan groaned, throwing a pillow at him before pulling the blankets over his head. He was sore from the stunts he did the day before and just wanted to sleep all day. Like all day. Maybe all week. "Please Dy. I haven't been upstate in forever."
He blinked up at the thirteen year old, locating the clock on the floor and reading 2:42. "Fine, grab my board shorts, we'll head up in ten minutes. And write a note to Jessie, I'm not bringing my phone with," He replied, grabbing his phone and sending a text out to his friends. Seconds later he had a pair of shorts smack him in the face; he pulled them on and climbed out of his bed, pulling on a muscle shirt and a pair of sneakers. He groaned as he stood up, poping various parts of his body and grabbing his keys, shoving them into one of the pockets of the off-white shorts.
Dylan snatched up a duffle bag, shoving a pair of cargo shorts into it, two towels, and his second phone, zipping it up before he crept out of his room and down the stairs, where Luke was waiting. "Leave a note for Jessie?" He questioned, walking through the kitchen to start piling Gatorade and other food items into the army green canvas bag.
"On the fridge door," Luke answered, slipping food into the bag before Dylan shut the fridge door with his hip, zipping the bag as quietly as he could. The duo walked out the front door, Dylan locking it behind them before they slid down the banister to the ground floor.
Luke was giggling by the top they reached the bottom, dizzy from the circle handrailing. He climbed in the shotgun of his older brother's '70 Dodge Challanger, blucking himself in as Dylan threw the bag in the back seat, slamming the door shut before fishing the keys out of his pocket. The engine roared to life, the radio station flooding the cab as he pulled out of the parking garage.
Dispite New York being the city that never sleeps there wasn't that much traffic as they made their way to the Bronx. It wasn't until they almost passed into Terrytown that they crossed over the Hudson into New York State that Luke started to talk. "I didn't know why I acted like a dog when Jessie was treating me like one," he admitted. "To be honest, it felt natural, like I was letting out this part of me I'd kept in for so long."
"Dude, you do realize that you were just growing into the new mindset," Dylan explained to his little brother. "Soon you'll have to deal with the shifting, which, Apollo help us, happens while we're upstate or no one's home. Trust me, it'll hurt like a bitch, and you'll wonder why you aren't dying, but once the full force of everything setting into place, it'll be amazing, everything you can see, hear, feel, touch, and smell."
Luke played with the strings of his Batman board shorts (Dylan was proud of his little brother for not taking the Marvel route) for a few minutes. "Do you think there's something wrong with me?" He asked quietly. Dylan glanced over at the younger male, then back to the road. "I mean, everyone else my age has already shifted and finished training already. Some have even been in fights and here I am, barely past the mental shift."
Dylan cringed, feeling the scars on his back, "Don't try to rush into fights Luke; keep your skin as unmarred as possible as long as possible. And just because your a runt means that there's something wrong with you. Dad didn't shift until he was a little younger than me, he was Alpha before the accident. Who knows, maybe you'll end up giving orders to me someday." Luke grinned, curlling up on the seat and sleeping.
It was just after 7 when the brothers reached their hometown of Dryden, pulling into their friend's driveway. Dylan shook Luke's arm to wake him up before reaching back and grabbing his dufflebag. "Wanna sleep with me or scare the shit outta Carter?" Dylan whispered as the shut the doors of the car.
"Carter," Luke replied as Dylan unlocked the front door. When they walked in a man in his late 30's was pulling on a pair of work boots sitting on the couch. "Hey Uncle Ryan."
He looked up, sandy blond hair falling into his blue eyes. "Hey Luke, Dylan; how long are you two staying?" Ryan asked. He wasn't their biological Uncle but their pack Uncle, being their dad's big brother when he first shifted, and he became a surrogate Uncle along with that, at least to Dylan; Luke later picked up on it and called him that as well.
"Three days," Luke replied. Dylan looked down at the kid, eyes wide. "It's been a while and I knew you were missing being up here. Plus that'll give you time to catch up with Missy, or was it Katrina?"
Dylan sighed at the mention of his girlfriend, Lindsey. They'd hooked up early into their spring break, and he was convinced he was in love. Yeah, sometimes he questioned his sanity, but he was a teenage boy, so.
"Good, the kids have been wanting you to come up since May. Pack meeting tomorrow too," he informed them as he stood up. "See you boys later, and tell Jimmy to take out the trash, it stinks." The older wolf gave both boys a quick hug before walking out the door. Luke scampered up the stairs while Dylan sowed the food and Gatorade into the fridge. He sluggishly found his way up to Jimmy's room, opening the mahogany door.
The room was black and were blacked out by certains. It was amazing that he could walk through it sometimes. Dylan navigated his way to the bed, pulling his friend off it. Jimmy hit the hardwood with a thunk but didn't wake up as Dylan curled up on his bed and fell asleep.
"Jackass," was the word Dylan was woken up with, along with the floor meeting his back and the matress meeting his face. "Cayden's here to see you, get your ass up before he finds Luke."
Dylan groaned, pushing the older-than-dirt matress off of him, glaring at Jimmy, who's face was showing the last sign of a bruise, probably from Dylan pushing him off the bed. The blue haired 17 year old helped his pack brother off the floor. "You dyed your hair again?" Dylan asked. The natural blond was always changing his hair color, and Dylan was amazed he didn't go bald.
"Yep, and check out the Converse," Jimmy replied, throwing the red high tops at him. The younger male grinned. "Shut up, I didn't paint those because I have a secret crush on you, I really like the movies, and unfortantly, your ugly mug has the lead role."
"I'm stealing the Grimm Converse now," he replied, throwing the shoes back at him. Dylan popped his back before navigating his way downstairs.
Sitting in the kitchen was a black haired male who was nearly a mirror image of Dylan, only his eyes were green insted of blue, and Luke. They were eatting pancakes, a glass of soda in front of Luke and a bottle of beer in front of the older male. "So, you've bitten anyone yet kid?" He asked.
Dylan's eyes flashed as he walked in. "Luke, how about you go into the living room with Carter and Jimmy," he suggested, leaning against the chair while glaring at the eldest with electic blue eyes.
"But we wer-" Luke started.
"Go, now," Dylan growled. Luke's head dropped and he left with his plate. He waited until he heard the TV turn up to a decent volume before growling at the smirking male. "Leave him alone Cayden."
Cayden grabbed his beer, gulping down a healthy ammount of it, "What I can't talk to my little brother without being up to anything?" The older o Gallchobhair stood up, making the younger of the two back up, fangs and muzzle protuding. "Don't be like that little bro, remember all the good times we had?" Dylan backed up farther into the kitchen, Cayden following him until they were pressed up against the counter.
Amber eyes bore into blue, Dylan's shorts riding up his thigh as the cold glass of the beer bottle slid up his leg. He was shaking in fear, trying to ignore the feeling of utter helplessness as Cayden's other hand slid up the back of his shirt, five claws digging into his flesh and raking up the bare flesh. Dylan could feel the blood dripping down as his body started to heal itself, Cayden removing the claws from the small of his back.
"Cayden, I think it's time you leave," a voice growled from the back door. Dylan sighed in relief when he saw his Pack Brother standing in the doorway. He let out a relieved sob as Cayden slid pass the blond, whose eyes were boring into him as he made his escape. "You okay Dylan?" Hale asked as he shut the door behind him, walking over to the shaking sixteen year old.
Dylan nodded, trying to get his voice to work again. "T-T-Thanks H-H-ale," he gasped out. "D-D-Didn't know he'd-d be up here when I-I brought Luke up."
Hale nodded understandingly as he let Dylan slide down onto the floor, pulling himself together.
