Legacy 106: Nature vs. Nurture
Part 4
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When the Manticores were finished preparing the trials, two of the demons freed Dylan from his chains and dragging him across the floor to another cave. He was brought before Lena and forced on his knees. She was holding some kind of club made from bone. The demons then circled around them and waited, screeching excitedly.
"We will now begin the trials, to prove that this Manticore is worthy of joining the pack." Lena stated as she played with the club.
"I won't." Dylan replied defiantly.
Lena stepped forward and hit him across the face with open hand. "You may not speak during the trials." She said. "To prove your worth, you will undergo three trials, to prove your strength, dedication and loyalty to the pack. The first trial will…"
Before Lena could finish, there some commotion among the Manticores. Dylan looked around and saw Wyatt running into the cave. He threw a couple of potions and vanquished the two demons closest to the entrance. Dylan used the opportunity to get up and push Lena with all his might, sending her flying across the cave.
Another Manticore tried to attack him, though he avoided it in a blur and punched the demon in the face. Hitting felt really good, so he kept punching him, letting all his frustration out. At the same time, Wyatt raised a force field around himself to stop two Manticores from attacking him. He then dropped the field and threw more potions to vanquish them.
"Dylan, snap out of it!" Wyatt called out.
As Dylan looked up, he saw the last two remaining Manticores screeching at each other and charge at Wyatt from different directions. Wyatt managed to vanquish one of them, but the other slashed his arm. Wyatt cried out in pain and fell to his knees, the venom already weakening him. The Manticore raised his claw and wanted to strike again. Dylan yelled as he shot forward in a blur and grabbed the demon by the head, snapping his neck in one quick twist.
Dylan stumbled back and looked at his hands. He had never done something so violent. He felt his demonic side stir inside him and scream for more violence. He tried to suppress it. He did not want to become like those monsters.
"Are you okay?" Wyatt said weakly. "You did what you had to."
"I know." Dylan replied. "But still, it feels wrong."
"You get used to it." Lena remarked coldly as she suddenly appeared next to him.
Lena grabbed Dylan by the arm and threw him across the room. She then walked to Wyatt and grabbed him by the throat, pressing him against the wall. Wyatt tried to break free, though Lena was stronger than him and his feet were dangling off the ground. Although the venom in his body would not kill him, it left him weak and unable to defend himself.
"You will not stand in my way." Lena said. "He is mine."
"You don't get to decide that." Wyatt replied as he coughed for air. "He has his free will, and I know he will never join you."
"He is right, Lena." Dylan said as he stood up and walked toward her. "I will never join you. I know I am part demon, but I choose to be human. Just give up. We can end this right here and now. Nobody needs to get hurt."
"You just vanquished my entire pack." Lena snapped at him. "I won't let that be for nothing. I still want you. We can start a new pack."
"But you will never have me." Dylan said determined.
"Why? Because of him?" Lena asked as she glared at Wyatt and squeezed his throat. "You reject me because you have some kind of sick feelings for him? I can easily kill him."
"He has nothing to do with it." Dylan replied. "I am not like you, and I don't want to be. I am who I am, and I cannot change that."
"You're delusional." Lena said. "Being raised by mortals has made you like this. I know I can bring out the real you. You already tasted the violence and you loved it. I can see it."
"Maybe, but how I feel about you will never change." Dylan said. "Just let it go."
Lena fell silent and shook her head in disappointment. For a moment Dylan thought he had convinced her, but she suddenly got a determined look in her eyes and a dark smile appeared on her bright red lips.
"Fine." Lena said as she looked over her shoulder. "If I can't have you, I will make sure nobody will."
"No!" Dylan screamed.
Lena raised her hand and readied her sharp nails. As she lashed out at Wyatt, Dylan shot forward in a blur and grabbed her arm before she could rip his chest open. Lena seemed shocked and Dylan pulled her away from Wyatt. They struggled as they shot across the cavern in high-speed and crashed into the opposite wall. Dylan raised his hand to punch her, but hesitated. His demonic side was screaming for more violence, but Dylan did not want to lose control over himself.
Lena screamed out angrily as she lashed out. Dylan stumbled back and she kicked him in the stomach, causing him to fall back several yards. She then moved in a blur and grabbed him by his shirt, punching him in the face until he was bruised and beaten. Dylan was about to lose consciousness when suddenly wall of blue energy appeared between them, knocking Lena back. Dylan looked back and saw Wyatt standing behind him.
"I will kill both of you." Lena said and unleashed a sonic scream that shattered the force field. She stepped forward, but a potion hit her and exploded, forcing her to her knees. "You will need more than that to destroy me. My human half makes me resistant." Lena remarked painfully.
"I don't want to kill you, unless you force my hand." Wyatt warned her. "I still have another potion. Leave and never come back."
"I can kill you before you even throw it." Lena replied.
"Do you want to risk that?" Wyatt asked. "You seem like a survivor, take this opportunity to live."
Lena glared at him as she stood up. "You are weak, both of you." She remarked with content. "You both had the chance to kill me and hesitated. Any real man would have ended me. I thought I could change him, but I guess I was wrong. Pathetic. You deserve each other."
"What are you saying?" Wyatt asked carefully.
"I am saying that I have no use for him. I need a mate who is strong and determined, someone who can help lead our pack without mercy and raise our children the right way." Lena replied with disgust in her voice. "So congratulations, you won. Hope you're happy."
Lena glared at them one last time and disappeared in a shimmer. Dylan wanted to feel relieved, but his pain was overwhelming. His face was bruised and swollen and he could taste blood in his mouth. Wyatt kneeled down beside him and he suddenly felt a warm light over his face. His bruises disappeared. He looked up and saw Wyatt's hands were surrounded in a golden light. He looked simply angelic with his worried face.
"Are you okay?" Wyatt asked as the light faded.
"I think so." Dylan said as he sat up and touched his healed face. "Thank you. You saved me."
"Well, you saved me as well." Wyatt replied with a faint smile. "And we said no more thank yous."
"You need healing too." Dylan said concerned as he saw his bleeding arm.
"I will be fine. The venom is already fading." Wyatt replied.
"Do you think Lena will be back?" Dylan asked.
"I doubt it." Wyatt replied. "I think she is pretty convinced you won't make a suitable mate. She won't waste her time."
"Thank god for that." Dylan remarked.
"You do know she is wrong, right?" Wyatt said. "About not being a real man, about being weak? You were brave enough to stand up for who you are."
"I know, but thanks." Dylan replied with smile. "So what happens now?"
"Now we get out of here." Wyatt replied. "I have seen enough of this place for a while."
"Right." Dylan replied disappointed.
That was not exactly what he had meant, but he reminded himself he should not get his hopes up. It seemed clear Wyatt did not feel the same as he did. Then there was the kiss. It was confusing and Dylan did not know if he should bring it up. He did not want to make things uncomfortable and today had been eventful enough, so he decided to remain quiet. Wyatt extended his hand and Dylan accepted it. They then disappeared from the Underworld in a column of orbs.
Xxx
The following day, Wyatt woke up in his own bed in the manor and sighed. He had barely been able to sleep all night. He was glad Dylan was safe, though he felt like he had left a lot unresolved. After leaving the Underworld, he had dropped him off at his apartment and quickly left to avoid an uncomfortable situation. He still did not know how to handle it, as he still was not sure what he was feeling for Dylan.
Wyatt had always considered himself to be open-minded, but could he really have feelings for another man? He had been attracted to women as long as he could remember, he had never been attracted to a man. He wished he had someone to talk to about this, but he was not sure who. He did not want his entire family to know before he understood himself. He needed to find out how he felt first, and he knew only one way to determine that.
A little while later, Wyatt arrived at the apartment complex where Dylan lived. As he entered the building, he hesitated for a moment, but knew he had to confront his feelings head on. He went up the stairs and knocked on the door. When Dylan opened the door, he seemed surprised to see him.
"Hey." Dylan said a little nervous.
"Hi." Wyatt replied awkwardly. "Can I come in?"
"Of course." Dylan said as he held open the door.
Wyatt entered the apartment and paced around as Dylan closed the door and got them both something to drink. As he waited, he noticed a picture of Derek with a ten-year-old Dylan during a fishing trip. They looked so normal and happy.
"How are you?" Wyatt asked as Dylan came back and handed him a glass.
"Okay, all things considered." Dylan replied as he took a sip. "I killed with my bare hands. I know they were demons, but still… It brought out a side of me I suppressed for a long time. All that aggression, I need to find a way to deal with it."
"If you need help…" Wyatt suggested.
"Thanks, but I think it is something I need to do on my own." Dylan replied hastily.
"I get it." Wyatt said and cleared his throat. "So… we never really got to talk about what happened yesterday."
"I know, getting kidnapped by lady psycho did not leave much room to talk." Dylan remarked dryly. "Besides… I figured you might not want to talk."
"I just didn't know what to say." Wyatt replied.
"Look, I understand." Dylan said. "It was just a moment, you probably just want to forget it and move on. I am sure that blonde model is waiting for your call."
"No." Wyatt replied quickly. "At least, I am not sure I want that."
"So what do you want?" Dylan asked.
"I am not sure." Wyatt replied confused. "I guess that is why I came here."
"Dude, that is a little unfair." Dylan said with a frown. "I can't tell you how you should feel. You need to figure that out yourself."
"I know." Wyatt admitted.
"I have had time to think as well." Dylan said nervously. "And this is really difficult to say, so if it sounds rehearsed, it is because it is… I know you probably don't feel the same as me, and I should not expect you to. I just can't set myself up to get hurt. The Manticores found me because they sensed my pain. I can't take that risk again… And… I just don't want to be another drunk experiment."
"I understand." Wyatt replied after he let his words sink in. "You're right. It is not fair to put you in that position. I guess I should leave."
Wyatt put down his glass and headed to the door. Dylan walked with him and opened the door for him. As he stepped out, the door closed behind him. Wyatt sighed as he leaned against the door and bumped his head against it. A few moments passed as he realized he needed to figure out what he wanted and not force his doubts upon Dylan. He could not deny there was something there worth exploring, but were they real feelings?
Wyatt was about to leave when the door suddenly opened again, causing him to lose balance and nearly fall into the apartment. However, Dylan caught him and helped him up by his arms. As they touched, Wyatt felt the same thing as last night.
"You're still here." Dylan said, though he did not sound surprised.
"Yeah." Wyatt replied as he corrected himself. "I guess I wasn't ready to leave yet."
Dylan seemed to consider his words with a frown as he leaned against the door. Eventually he sighed and stepped back to swing the door open. "Well, in that case, you can come back in." he said. "To talk… if you want."
"Okay." Wyatt replied with a smile and followed him back inside.
Xxx
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The End