Reap the Earth at Which you Stand [boyxboy]

Chapter XXXIX

~Wednesday 31st January 2018~

"The moon up yet?" Raylen asked during a particularly quiet part of the movie playing on the TV. To begin with, Dakota had been watching it somewhat intently, however, he lost interest when one of the characters he had been rooting for had been killed off. It was gory and dramatic and Dakota didn't care for it. The blondes were always the ones to die first in the horror films, he had actually thought she might last a little longer. It wasn't even realistic, werewolves weren't just hairy men walking on two legs, they could have at least gotten that part accurate. It isn't hard to read into the lore littered throughout history.

"Looks like," Loral murmured, glancing to Dakota briefly before Pete shifted slightly, tugging the curtains shut completely. It was a lunar eclipse that night, and Dakota had decided to stay home. Vasile had assured him that the lunar event wouldn't affect him, meaning he could actually relax and breathe around his brother, but he was still on edge. He always would be, and Loral seemed to be in the same mindset.

"You think they'll have done it yet?" Raylen was particularly distracted that evening, Dakota could tell by how little he was actually sitting still during the movie. He fidgeted by nature, although having to have something in his hands to keep his mind occupied, but he got worse when there was something on his mind. Namely, for that night, a wolf hunt that he was barred from joining.

"No, the moon isn't apexing for another couple of hours," Dakota checked his phone, noting the time and checking his skin carefully once again. No claws, no darkening, nothing. He was safe. He trusted Vasile, yet he couldn't help but be paranoid. Something always seemed to be going wrong recently, he thought it best to anticipate his losses rather than being surprised by them.

"Are you going to pout about it all night?" Pete teased, chuckling when Raylen flipped him the middle finger. Loral had come clean about Pete knowing what they were to his other brothers, since it was easier for them all to be aware of that than risk slipping up and making the situation worse. Torin and Raylen had taken it pretty horrifically, just as Dakota had in the beginning, but they didn't seem to care anymore. It made no difference to them, since Pete still acted the same. It was as though he didn't know, as though nothing had changed. Of course, if Loral also told them that Pete was a witch, they might not take it so passively.

"Ray doesn't like being put on timeout," Dakota joked, smoothing out the blanket around him and returning his gaze to his phone with a subtle smile. Vasile had been quiet that evening, giving slow responses to Dakota rather than the instant ones he was used to. It was understandable, he had other things to do, however, that didn't stop Dakota from feeling a little neglected.

"I wasn't put on timeout, I was told my skills weren't required tonight," Raylen corrected sullenly, sipping his beer and continuing to glower at his brothers in the darkness. There would always be an excuse with him, especially if he wasn't a fan of the real truth being told about his situation.

"You were put on timeout because you got too trigger happy on the last wolf hunt and almost killed East," Dakota corrected, just about catching the eye roll that Raylen chose as a response to the truth of the matter. Loral grimaced, as always, although Pete was close enough to whisper something in his ear, seeming to calm the boy. They always took the couch together, sprawled over it with their limbs tangled together in the blankets and pillows, whilst Dakota sat on the floor up against the far wall and Raylen took their father's armchair. The youngest always sat on the floor, Dakota was used to it after so many years.

"I like my job, is that so wrong?" Technically no, if it didn't make Raylen such a psychopath. In his defence, Raylen hadn't wanted to be in this life any more than Dakota or Loral. He had his own ambitions, his dreams, like all the other brothers, yet Grant never allowed it. Raylen wanted to join the army, be in the special forces and really save lives out there. He wanted to make a difference, deal with the real threats, not slaughter the innocents he was supposed to be protecting. Of course, it was never allowed, and that made just another reason for Grant to be resented.