Raised By Humans ✔

Twenty Four

Michael's POV

It had been a few hours since we'd been tossed into Gabriel's room, an hour since my younger brother had woken. Cas sat on Gabriel's bed, back against the wall, eyes closed. Gabriel was fast asleep beside him, head in his lap. He'd tired himself trying to break out of his room. Dorian had made the windows and doors impossible to break through, probably not accounting for a situation like this one. Where his people would be trapped inside of their own rooms instead of safe. Dorian hadn't accounted for a lot of things. Not from what I had seen.

"You shouldn't stay in your own head for too long, big brother." Cas's voice interrupted. "I've seen what it does to you."

"Oh really?" I huffed. "And what does it do to me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He questioned simply. "You push people away. Rile them up, make them hate you. It's one heck of a coping mechanism."

"Coping mechanism?" I spat. "What exactly do I need to cope with?"

"Take a good look at where we are right now." He laughed softly. "If I weren't tired and sore, I'd be freaking out."

"I'm not like you."

"You're more like me than you know." He replied, sighing as he twisted his head to stare at the wall. "Before the pack, I did the same thing. I pushed people away so that I wouldn't have the chance to get hurt. Then I met Jaxson."

"And?"

"And..." He paused. "He understood. Jaxson was a stray who accidentally walked into James' territory when he was nine. He never let people in either."

"And the point of this little flashback is?"

Cas' eyes snapped to meet mine, his navy-blue eyes blazing. "He taught me that it was okay to get hurt. It was a risk that you took when you decided to let people love you. You may not trust me, and despite what I said I trust you. Not because you're my brother, but because I have to."

"You have to?" I scoffed. "And you told you that?"

"I did. I have to trust you, Michael." He retorted. "I make it a rule to trust the ones I care about. The ones I love."

It felt as if the world had stopped moving. He loved me? Why? I didn't deserve it. Especially not after what I had said to him. He confused me, all of this confused me.

"Why?"

"Because if I don't trust them, then who else?" Cas smiled that soft smile of his, the one that reminded me so much of our mother. "I care about you, you stupid wolf. I would never have gone looking for you if I didn't."

My knees felt weak. All this time I had doubted him, thinking he was only after what came when he found us all. But this, his emotions and words, was genuine. He wanted to find us because he cared. Not because he had to. I felt the relief flood through my body, the tension washing away.

"In that case, I trust you too," I replied quietly. "And I'm sorry for what I said, I- "

"I know." He beamed. "You were just trying to protect yourself. And our parents."

"Yeah..." I bowed my head, staring at the floor.

"I want to find them too," Cas whispered. "I want my family back. I want you to have your family back."

I glanced back up at him, his soft dirty-blonde hair, falling into his eyes, his face sleepy. I hadn't said anything, but his condition had been worsening since we'd been gone. He slept a lot, but it was fitful. He never slept longer than an hour before he was up, claiming that he was 'just tired'. That wasn't it anymore. There was more to it than that.

I didn't get that chance to finish my thoughts as the door slammed open, Gabriel shooting up from his position in Cassiel's lap, a snarl escaping his throat. I growled as the four vampires that had thrown us in here entered the room. Gabriel dashed off the bed, lunging for one of the vampires. The vamp caught him by the throat, slamming him up against the wall and holding him there, restraining him. I slowly stood from my seat, watching as the remaining three vamps moved towards Cassiel. I shot towards one of them, grabbing by the neck from behind, pulling him away from my brother.

The vampire snarled, his nails digging into the skin of my forearms. I snarled at the pain continuing to try to pull him away. Cas had moved off the bed, picking up the lamp from Gabe's bedside table. They lunged towards him, seizing him by the wrists and tearing the lamp from his grasp. Gabe yelped as the vamp holding him threw a fist into his stomach, his knees falling out from under him. Cas cried out as one of the vampires grabbed him roughly, dragging him towards the door. I extended my claws and dug them into the vamp's neck, causing him to release a howl of pain. I didn't have time to rip my claws out as something hard hit the back of my head. I saw double as my body went limp, trying and failing to hold on to the vamp.

"Cas!" Gabriel shouted as our little brother was dragged from the room, the vampires slamming the door closed behind them.

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Hey guys, gals and fridges!

I know I said that I was going to be updating a couple of days ago, but school has been hectic lately with assignments and preparations for exams and whatnot. Anyways, I'll be trying to update every day for the rest of the week but this might not happen. We'll see.

Anyways, thanks so much for 417 reads and 83 votes! It means so much!

Thanks for wasting your time on me!

~Daxton🌈