Running Red: Lost Moon

Chapter 4: Blue Smoke

Michael Lander stood in a small kitchen in an equally small apartment cooking breakfast. His ear-length tawny brown hair was in a tangled mess. He reached up to scratch at the large pale webbed burn scar on sun-warmed tan skin. It was large enough to cover his right cheek, jaw, and parts of his exposed neck, disappearing beneath the white tee shirt he was wearing. He yawned and poked at the eggs currently frying in the pan. Michael reached out to turn off the stove and was turning to dump the eggs on a plate when the front door opening caught his attention. Blue eyes looked over to find another male walking into the apartment. He looked back at the plate in front of him. "Morning, Cain. You hungry?"

Cain gave a grumble from where he was sitting on the floor, untying his boots. His blonde hair was shorn close to his head in choppy clumps. He looked up at Michael with gray eyes and then looked away, but not before Michael saw the bruising forming around his left eye. Michael sighed and turned back to the stove as Cain slowly untied his boots. When Michael looked back, Cain was walking towards him. It took years for Michael to get used to his moods and how quiet he could move. Cain's shorter form reached around Michael to grab the plate of eggs sitting on the counter. When Cain turned away, Michael caught sight of another bruise forming on the pale skin of his collarbone. Right. That explains the lack of vocal activity.

Micheal looked up and gave a loud sigh. He looked over at Cain, who was now sitting on the counter eating. Turning towards Cain, he found gray eyes watching him, and Michael was about to say something when the sound of his cell phone cut through the air. Cain flinched, his fork clattering to the ground as Michael reached out to catch the plate of eggs. "Easy. Just the phone."

Once Cain had a better hold on the plate, he shot Michael a glare, and Michael held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. Michael turned away from him to grab his phone when it started ringing for a second time. He quickly answered without looking at the screen since he glanced at Cain, who was now picking at the eggs. "Hello?"

The voice sounded panicked when she shouted over the phone. "Michael! Something happened to Levi."

Cain quickly looked up, his eyes narrowing.

Worried, Michael winced and placed the phone against his ear again to ask. "Rhea? What happened?"

"I don't know. Gray said they found him outside the Hemmings. He was unconscious but miles away from his truck."

"Where was his truck?"

"A mile outside of the city limits. Gray found his boot prints heading towards town, but there was nothing wrong with his truck."

Michael watched as Cain sat the plate to the side and hopped down. He gave Cain a confused look, and Cain muttered, "Getting the bags."

"What about Levi?"

"He's currently sleeping. Hairline fracture in his leg, concussion, bruising, his knuckles have minor fractures it looks like he got into a fight." Michael could pick up rustling. He wouldn't be surprised if she were pacing outside Levi's room right now. "I don't know what to do. It was supposed to be safe out here, and he was supposed to spend the rest of the year taking it easy, especially after the last time he ended up in the hospital."

"Rhea." Rhea grew quiet on the other end. "We can be there..." He looked over at Cain, who gave him a quick hand sign. "Tomorrow. Just need to pack some bags and make sure everything is taken care of."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, he won't be able to drive. I don't mind staying around until he's better."

"Yeah." She grew quiet thinking about it. "Yeah, okay. Just... don't be surprised if you get the cold shoulder the whole time you're here."