There's a warning for this chapter. Also, to understand the title of this chapter, look up the song "Blood And Passion" by Heather Alexander.
WARNING: Mentions of rape/ non- con elements. Also a bit of blood and gore towards the end. Skip this entire chapter if you don't like it.
"WALES!" Wales jumped half out of his skin when Luke rushed into his room late one night, sounding terrified.
"Luke?" Wales jumped up from his bed, rushing over to his brother and grabbing his arms, "Luke, what's wrong buddy?"
"H- he's... h- he's teaching... M- my class..." Luke's ice blue eyes were wide and unblinking with pure terror.
"Luke? Buddy you're not making any sense." Wales said, leading Luke over to his bed to sit him down, "Take a deep breath, and tell me what's wrong-"
"DAD IS TEACHING ONE OF MY CLASSES!" Lucas wailed, tearing his fingers through his shoulder length hair, "He's here, Wales! Dad is here, at Starfield, teaching my fucking history class!"
Wales blinked, once, twice, three times, before Luke's words sank in.
"Not... possible." Wales said, shaking his head, "Luke, your history teacher is Professor Stone. Not dad-"
"I KNOW WHAT I SAW WALES! Dad was there, at the front of the class, teaching us something that I don't remember because I was frozen with fear for the entire hour!" Luke snarled, his eyes flaring red and teeth elongating into fangs.
"He's not lying." Wales looked over Luke's shoulder to see Chris standing in the doorway, "I was a bit surprised myself, when I saw him."
"See?!" Luke exclaimed.
"Okay, before I believe either of you..." Wales narrowed his eyes, "Show me."
"Son of a bitch!" Wales sounded disbelieving, as he hid back behind the corner of the hallway, "It is him! But how...?"
Next to him, Chris shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe he got offered a job here and couldn't turn it down?"
"I don't think so. He doesn't just take up a job without a good reason." Wales muttered.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking... Why don't either you or your brother like him?" Chris asked.
Wales winced, "Complicated. And a long story."
"Then you can explain when we get back to the dorm while you're comforting your brother."
Luke hadn't let go of Wales yet, curled up into his brother's side as the two lay on the bed. Chris sat on Wales' desk, watching them. Wales looked as though this was a common occurance as he seemed to wait for Luke to fall asleep.
It took a while, but Luke eventually went to sleep.
"So," Chris crossed his legs and placed his elbows on the side of his knees while propping his chin on his fist, "Start talking."
Wales was silent for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling. Finally, he spoke.
"Our mom died, when I was six, and Luke was three. He doesn't remember her much, but I do. Very beautiful, and she never seemed to age, but she was very sick, in the months following up to her death.
"After our mom died, dad took a turn for the worse. He lost his job, started drinking heavily. I don't remember a time he wasn't ever drunk. He hit us a lot, seperated us whenever I tried to keep Luke from getting the brunt of his attacks.
"I remember... one day I came back home from school. I was eight then, and Luke was five. I remember coming home, and the house being too quiet." Wales squeezed his eyes shut, "Until I heard Luke screaming from the basement.
"I rushed down, and found our dad... our dad pinning him to the ground, a hot brand in his hand. Before I could stop him, he'd put it Luke's forehead."
Here, Wales carefully brushed Luke's bangs out off his forehead, revealing a burn scar in the shape of angel's wings.
"I was so angry with him, I attacked him before I knew what I was doing." Wales continued, "He grabbed me though, and dragged me out of the basement. I thought for sure he was gonna seperate us, as my punishment, so I couldn't comfort Luke through the pain, and he did. He threw me in my room and locked the door.
"I remember it being early morning before I saw Luke again, which was strange, as our dad usually seperated us for a week, at the most. When he threw Luke in with me, he was sobbing so bad he didn't quiet down until that afternoon. When I asked him what'd happened, what dad had done..."
Wales inhaled shakily, as if steeling himself for what he was about to say.
"He'd raped Luke?" Chris asked, softly, though there was a dark undertone to his voice.
"Yeah." Wales whispered, closing his eyes, "After that, it was a common occurance for me to come home after school to find Luke crying in our room. Dad always hurt him whenever I wasn't around. But he hit me and threatened to do the same thing to me plenty of times that I kept quiet and refrained myself from doing anything rash. But nowadays... sometimes I wish I could have gone through half the stuff Luke did, just to share in his pain and know exactly what he's feeling sometimes."
"How'd you get away?" Chris asked, curiously.
"A few years ago. I just grabbed Luke one night when dad was passed out drunk and ran. I didn't even know where we were gonna go until pickpocketed the... right person, I guess you could say." Wales shrugged.
"Who'd you steal from?" Chris blinked.
"Julian Konzern." Wales' shoulders with silent laughter, "He grabbed my wrist before I could make off with his wallet. He didn't let go until I explained to him why I had tried to steal from him."
"And...?" Chris asked.
"When I told him it was for my brother..." Wales shrugged again, "He offered for us to live with him. We grew to be best friends, like Luke and Nero did."
"They have a strange way of showing that friendship." Chris said, dryly.
"Yeah, I know. But... it works. Nero's so active, energetic, fiery, and such a clown that it takes Luke's mind off the darker things in life." Wales said.
"So I see." Chris mumbled.
The two sat in silence for a few moments, before Chris jumped off the desk and stretched his arms over his head.
"Well, don't worry about Luke in his history class." Chris said, and cut Wales off when he tried to interrupt, "I'm in that class too. If it takes me sitting next to Luke, putting myself between him and your father, or even pairing up with him on every group project, you can bet I'll do everything in my power short of punching your dad in the face to keep Luke safe."
Wales blinked at Chris, before allowing a small smile on his face, "Thanks Chris. I appreciate it."
"Think nothing of it."
Then, Chris was gone.
Rough fingers locked around his wrists, bringing both of his hands over his hands.
"Stop... please, stop!" The boy pleaded, moving against the uncomfortable weight on top of him, "Please don't do this! Please-"
His own sobbing stopped his pleading, choking off his airways. The man's free hand locked around his throat, cutting off his airways even more.
"Shut up, little rat." A man's voice hissed, "You know to stay quiet by now, or do I have to beat into you again?"
Ice blue eyes, full of tears, widened, before the young boy shook his head 'no'.
"Good." The man growled, and released his hold on the boy's throat, before working on dragging the younger's legs apart and fitting himself between them.
Luke sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut. Dimly, he realized the man was speaking in his ear.
"Wake up."
He didn't want to. He wanted to pray wish that this was all a nightmare. He wanted someone to storm through the door, and save him from his father's sick desires.
"Lucas..."
Stop saying my name, the boy mentally cried. Just stop it!
"LUCAS, WAKE UP!"
Luke's fist shot in blinding speed, catching someone on the jaw.
"Ow! Damn it!" In the dim light of the room, Luke blinked to see Wales rubbing his jaw, "Easy on the vamp strength, please!"
"W- Wales?" Luke stammered.
"Yeah, buddy it's me." Wales' voice was softer now, "You were having a nightmare. You okay?"
"No." Luke sobbed, dragging his knees up to his chest, "It was about dad..."
Wales breathed deep through his nose, rubbing his temples, before laying a hand on Luke's shoulder, and asking softly, "Wanna talk about it?"
Luke was silent for a moment, before standing up and shaking his head, "No. I- I'm fine, really. It was just a nightmare."
"About dad." Wales deadpanned, "Luke, despite what you may think or say, you are not leaving my room tonight. If sleeping with me again is what gets you a good night's sleep, I don't care. Hell, for all you want, we can build a pillow fort like we used to do when we were kids!"
Luke laughed, a bit bitterly, at the last comment. None the less, it was a laugh, and it relaxed Wales a bit.
"Fine." Luke said, "Just... I feel asleep in my day clothes. Care if I go change?"
"Go ahead." Wales said, softly, "I'll be here when you get back."
Luke nodded, and walked out of Wales' room, and into his own bedroom. He took a moment to take a breather, before moving to change out of his jeans and t- shirt and into a pair of sweatpants and another t- shirt.
He turned to walk out-
And barely had time to gasp before he was shoved up against the wall with a hand over his mouth.
"Don't. Make. A. Sound." Caspian McKandless's ice blue eyes glinted with a malicious intent, "If you do, you'll regret it."
Luke nodded, meekly, and Caspian let his hand drop, smirking, "Good. Now, let's-"
Luke didn't give him a chance to finish, as he let his fangs drop down and lunged forward, biting his father directly on the shoulder, and sucking. Caspian shouted in pain, and stumbled back, before rushing forward and slamming Luke into the wall hard enough for him to let go.
Caspian stepped backwards, clutching his shoulder. Luke took a chance.
"WALES!" He screamed, just as the door burst open, revealing Wales standing there, hands lit up with electricity and blue eyes dark as the midnight sky.
"Get. Out." Wales growled, the air smelling of ozone.
Throughout the tower, Luke heard doors opening and calls of, "What's going on", and "Sounds like it's going on upstairs", and "Let's check it out".
Apparently, Caspian heard it too, because he growled, and moved to the wall farthest from either Luke or Wales...
And seemed to melt into the shadows.
Wales' entire demeanor changed, and the electricity disappeared from around him. Luke sank to the floor, shaking in fear and disbelief.
"Luke, you okay?" Wales asked.
Luke didn't answer, simply reached up to his mouth, which was red with blood. He pulled his fingers away, staring at his shaking hand.
"Wales..." Luke whispered, dimly aware that some of the other teens in the boy's dorm were gathering at the door, "I... I enjoyed it."
"What?" Wales sounded confused.
"I enjoyed sucking his blood. Wales," Luke looked up at his brother, eyes shimmering helplessly, "What type of monster does that make me? Am I as bad as he is? Feeding off of other people's pain?"
Wales didn't have an answer.
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