Chapter 13
"The leopard made YOU Shift?" Brandon asked him, glancing down at Ezekiel's hands. Somehow he strangled the growing need to reach out and un-ball the hard fist that Ezekiel had formed. The same need that had urged him to reach out and pet a giant snarling Leopard, instead of run.
But a moment later Ezekiel had dropped the fist with a curse. "Damnit!" Ezekiel growled in sudden and visceral agitation. He reached out, possibly intending to touch Brandon's cheek, but at the last moment a look of guilt flickered across his face and he pulled back. "Did he hurt you...?" Ezekiel asked him softly, looking Brandon over for injuries as he spoke. "Our strength....our anger....I can't control them when I'm Shifted."
Hoping to sooth Ezekiel's obvious anxiety Brandon shrugged both of his shoulders and shook his head. "No I'm fine." He reported, then feeling a small smile growing on his face he said. "When he first appeared he did sort of swipe and snap at me. But then he just sat on top of me and pinned me to the ground and made me stroke his head."
"I'm sorry, I can't believe he did that! I could have killed you" Ezekiel hissed, a sharp flash of blue crawling across his gaze as he scoffed in disgust and started to raise up off of the ground.
His sudden detachment and the frustration on his face made Brandon reach out and snatch up his wrist. With an unconscious thought he pulled Ezekiel back down into the soil in front of him.
"Ezekiel calm down!" Brandon found himself saying. Offering comfort simply because he sensed that Ezekiel needed it. "Its....It's okay..."
Without another word Ezekiel sighed and visibly tried to settle himself. Allowing Brandon to hold on to his wrist, Ezekiel's eyes drifted shut and his breathing became shallow and deep. For a time they just sat there with Ezekiel's breathing between them....until Brandon couldn't quite take the silence and began to ask a few questions simply to dispel it.
"Ezekiel When I was fighting you....did I make you angry?" Brandon asked, trying to determine what had cause the Shifter to feral on him. "When you Shifted you looked really upset. The leopard seemed upset too, did I hurt you?"
With a chuckle Ezekiel's eyes opened slowly, he looked down at himself, then back at Brandon before he responded. "He wasn't upset." He said, addressing his Shifter. "He was actually really excited to meet you. Hes been desperate to meet you for some strange reason the last few days."
"Oh." Brandon said, and smiled inwardly at the thought that the leopard was happy to have met him....because the feeling was mutual. Then a thought occurred to Brandon and he said. "But if you weren't angry how did the Shift happen? I thought you only Shifted if you're upset or in danger."
With a pause Ezekiel shifted on his knees then said. "Well you wouldn't know this, but there is such thing as a "happy" Shift.
"A happy Shift?" Brandon inquired at the new term.
"Just an expression." Ezekiel said back to him with a shrug. "What I mean is a simple Shift. Sometimes we get over stimulated and we change into our beasts by accident. We don't have to be angry or sad.....we just have to lose control of ourselves and for me....it's easy for that kind of thing to happen."
Because you're a Reaver?
Brandon wanted to ask....but didn't manage to form the words. He knew that Ezekiel said that Reavers were unstable....and dangerous. But somehow Brandon had forgotten all about that. He had forgotten that the fangs that were touching his skin, igniting all kinds of inappropriate responses, were the exact same fangs that tore a Ghouls arm into pieces only a week ago.
Ezekiels must have sensed the slight unease that Brandon tried to hide, because he sent him an understanding smile as he slowly disengaged his wrist and took swift hold of Brandon's hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry I got carried away, but it won't happen again." He promised. "You're safe around me."
With that Ezekiel suddenly level up on his heels, then shot up to his feet, this time he pulled Brandon up along with him.
"So who wins? Who wins the sparing match?" Brandon asked him trying to ignore the fact that Ezekiel was still holding his hand.
With a shrug Ezekiel said "Does it matter? Let's call it a draw."
But Brandon couldn't help but roll his eyes. "That's not fair!" He cried "I got the final hit. I got the third point. So I win!"
With a raise of his right eyebrow Ezekiel drawled at him. "You bit me."
"And you bit me back." Brandon swiftly pointed out in his defense.
"Part of that was revenge." Ezekiel said with a soft smile.
At this point Brandon should have stopped talking, but he just kept on blabbing. "What about the rest of it?" he quipped, not realizing what he was asking until it was too late.
With another flash of blue light in his gaze Ezekiel suddenly steeped closer and with a slight jerk on Brandon's hand he made him step nearly into his chest.
"Hmm? Do you really want me to tell you what I was thinking when I bit you?" Ezekiel growled, his breath stirring the hair at Brandon's crown as he spoke over him. Then Ezekiel leaned down so that he was looking Brandon in the eyes. "What were you feeling?"
"I...." Brandon began. Feeling the heat in his eyes like a caress Brandon took a step back, not missing the fact that Ezekiel was still holding on to his hand. But Brandon didn't have to shake his head yes or no. Because he knew exactly what Ezekiel would say. Brandon knew exactly what he'd been feeling when Ezekiel had touched him. How he had acted....
But he didn't even have to waste his time on replying at all. Ezekiel was already pulling back.
Obviously covering up a sigh Ezekiel tried to shrug away the silence that followed his question. "Look, let's just let this go. I know you don't like it when I touch you, Brandon." He began.
"But it's a natural desire for me. And in Shifter circles we tend to exchange scent and taste just like other animals do. By touch and tongue so that is my excuse for my behavior. For my people touch is as natural as breathing...but I know it may not be the same in mortal circles." Ezekiel pointed out as he suddenly dropped Brandon's hand and glanced towards the break in the tress, where the outline of Erin's cabin could just been seen.
"Come on....I think we've peeled enough vegetables for the day." He said, slowly leading Brandon back between the trees and into Erin's field. And once they had gathered up their supplies and put their shirts and shoes back on Ezekiel once more took the lead, as he ushered Brandon back towards the main road "Let's head back to the mansion for now, it's almost time for me to get back to patrols."
As they walked Ezekiel remained oddly reserved. He made little to no conversation and his every step was as silent as snow fall. As though the beast inside was waiting just beneath the surface, the silky grace of the leopard was still apart of him. And his nails looked sharper then they normally appeared.
It was easy for Branson to surmise that Ezekiel was disturbed, but weather he was disturbed by Brandon or his own private thoughts it was hard to decide.
Is he mad that he lost control perhaps?
Brandon contemplated to himself.
I know something like that can be upsetting....
Brandon shook his head. He truly understood the anger that came with feeling helpless. He understood the struggle of having something inside of you that could overtake you. Something dangerous. But on the other side he wished Ezekiel would be able to let his little slip up go. Because....some part of Brandon had found the entire event to be far too exciting.
He couldn't deny to himself that the sudden appearance of the leopard had surprised him....
....But I also kind of liked it....
Brandon thought to himself and smiled at the memory of the big cat's warm fur brushing against his chest and rubbing against his face. Blue eyes wild and angry had glared at him, but the leopards eyes were no less beautiful, no less Ezekiel's.
I was sort of happy to see the Leopard... It was like I got to see all of Ezekiel for the first time.
As his own thoughts registered Brandon suddenly wanted to slap himself. With an agitated shake of his head Brandon tried to make himself focus on the prize.
What does any of this matter! I'm leaving in the next week! I've got to stop getting distracted. I've got to stop noticing stupid stuff.
Like the fact that Ezekiel was upset. Or that he struggled with his Reaver blood. Or that Ezekiel would be nearly two full days short of rest.
I'm worried about all of the wrong things!
Brandon admonished himself quietly.
I need to stay away from Ezekiel. Nothing else matters but me getting back on the road. Nothing....
Brandon told himself. Ignoring just how untrue the words were.