(MxM) Tales of a Shifter (P4)- The Blood

Chapter 6 - Screaming For Release

Chapter 6

Brandon woke up in a soft bed, but he felt the eyes watching him and hovering over him, long before he broke free of his sleep.

Voices were murmuring. Talking about him.

Brandon woke up from the darkness that had claimed him, just as Erin's soft and anxious voice filled the air.

"It's been almost two days...How is he?"

She asked. She seemed to be talking to Glen....who was standing with Mantilo beside her.

In fact, the room was full of bodies. From Mantilo, Glen and Erin, to Lander, Walter, Nate....and finally Drin.

A sharp twinge hit Brandon in the heart unexpectedly, when his eyes scanned the room...and he didn't see Ezekiel. For a long moment...Brandon felt bereft. He wanted to see Ezekiel with a sharp ache. He wanted to know that the Guardian was okay. Especially since the last thing Brandon could remember was seeing Ezekiel covered in claw marks and blood.

"I hope he's okay..." Glen softly said next, her voice cheerless and anxious.

Realizing that no one in the room had realized that he had woken up yet, Brandon shifted, groaned loudly and put a hand to his head. "I...am just fine" he softly answered.

Surprisingly Glen walked up to the side of the bed, grabbed his hand, and squeezed it. A small smile touched her face, and her big green eyes beheld him gently.

"What about your face? Any pain? Do you need water?"

Brandon almost flinched as he saw the angry black eyes of Jacob. Brandon shivered and swallowed as he saw Jacob strike him down in the forest "Everything's okay...I think." he told her pulling his hand back from her.

It was at this point that Mantilo let out a massive snarl and shouted at Brandon suddenly, "You think wrong! Nothing is okay boy!"

Mantilo seemed to roar making both Brandon and Glen flinch. His big black eyes slit like a Leopard...and his face clouded in budding rage. With a stiff body, Mantilo marched up in front of Glen, pulling her back from the bed as he continued to yell at Brandon

"Do you have any idea...! Do YOU understand what you have done!?" Mantilo started to rage even louder.

"Mantilo please!" Glen tried to interject, and push back to Brandon's side. But with yet another snarl Mantilo grasped her small arms in his hands and pulled her further back, speaking to Glen with more authority in his voice than Brandon had ever seen Mantilo use with her.

"No! Don't Glen! Just don't!" Mantilo roared at her, silencing all of her protests, but using gentle hand to push her back. "You know that this is far from the time to be willful and gentle!" he told her.

Then with a flash of yellow in his black eyes and with his nostrils flaring in anger Mantilo turned from her...and rounded on Brandon.

"You!" He snarled, looking Brandon in the eyes. "Your actions....have caused pain to my Clan. Unbearable pain! Your actions have brought death and bloodshed to my home!"

Curling back his lips, Mantilo flashed a mouth full of fangs at Brandon threateningly.

"By right as Clan Head...." He continued to say. "I can and should kill you, Brandon! Your life should be forfeit for the acts perpetrated against my people!"

No one spoke after these harsh words. No one seemed able to.

Staring into the rage of the Clan head...Brandon felt his stomach laden with intense remorse. Remorse...and regret.